Congratulations! It's a Ichigo?
by whackybiscuit
Summary: From the Whackybiscuit Junk Drawer. Aizen hits Ichigo with a special kido that tears apart his body and puts it inside the nearest container, which happens to be Captain Unohana! Now the captains have to deal with a pregnant Unohana and all the complications that follow!
1. Chapter 1

Congratulations! It's a… Ichigo?!  
Chapter 1  
IchigoXUnohana

 **A.N.: This is an idea I came up with a while ago, but I figured that it was way too dumb an idea. Now, after lengthy consideration and knowing that I can write a fanfic without smut, I've decided to give this idea the green light and see how it goes. Due to the graphic ideas of this story, I'm gonna keep it at an M-Rating, though I may change it based on popular opinion.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **As Aizen was leaving the Soul Society…  
**_ **Aizen POV**

"Good bye, Soul Reapers. It's been amusing…." Aizen said as the Negacion lifted him up. Smiling he saw the Ryoka boy glaring up at him. "Goodbye, Ryoka boy. For a human, you were quite interesting. But…" As the Menos Grande let him walk into its hand he held up a hand, pointing a finger at the fallen Ichigo. "I won't have you being a nuisance to my plans any longer. Good bye, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Yamamoto heard the special kido chant Aizen muttered and his eyes widened in terror. Turning to the Ryoka girl, Orihime, he shouted "Girl! Get away from that boy this instant!"

Orihime looked confused at the old man but Captain Unohana, who was tending to Captain Kuchiki, was way ahead of her. Flash stepping away, she grabbed Orihime and pushed her away. She tried to then get away from the targeted Ichigo, but was too late….

Everyone watched as Aizen shot a violet ball from his hand, launching it at lightning speed. The ball hit Ichigo square in his bifurcated back, the spell spreading out to his entire body. Knowing that the boy was no longer be a thorn in his side, Aizen, accompanined by Gin and Tosen, left….

 **13 Court Guard Squad POV**

To the horror of Orihime, Yoruichi, Rukia, Uryu and Ganju, Ichigo cringed in pain before….

…he disappeared into a cloud of blue smoke.

"ICHIGOOOO!" Orihime screamed, tears falling from her eyes. Uryu and the others stood there stunned, complete and utter horror on their faces as they watched their friend die.

Unohana tried to get away from the cloud of blue smoke but she was too little too late. The others watched as the smoke traveled over to the woman. Everyone watched in horror as the smoke poured through her body, entering through her mouth, her nose, her ears, even her eyes. "Captain Unohana!" screamed a horrified Isane.

Soon all of the smoke that was Ichigo had entered the woman's body. Swaying for a moment, everyone held their breath before she fell over unconscious. The other captains rushed to her side as Orihime rushed to where Ichigo had disappeared. "Ichigo…." Tears leaked from her eyes as she stared down at Ichigo's empty clothes. "I can't believe…he's…he's…" Yoruichi held her as she sobbed into her chest. Walking over to them Uryu fought back tears. After all Ichigo had endured to save Rukia, to die like this….

"He's not dead."

Everyone turned and looked to see Head-Captain Yamamoto walking over to them. Wiping her eyes, Orihime looked at him. "What?"

"The boy is not dead. Aizen's kido spell was not meant to kill the boy."

Uryu stepped forward. "Then what…what happened to Ichigo? And to that woman?" he asked pointing to Unohana.

"Aizen used a forbidden kido spell to distort your friend's reishi body and displace it into a container."

Orihime looked at him with a massive question mark on her head. "Um…what?"

 _ **Several Days Later….  
**_ **Squad 4 Medical Center  
Unohana POV**

"Ooooh, what happened," Unohana muttered as she opened her eyes slowly. Looking around she saw that she was back in her squad.

"Stay still, Captain Unohana. You've been through a lot." Captain Ukitake advised, sitting in the room with Kyoraku, Rukia and Orihime.

Unohana sat up and rubbed her throbbing head. "Oh, my aching head. What…what happened? I remember Aizen… him cutting down Captain Hitsugaya, the Sokyoku hill, then… everything goes blank after that."

Rukia explained. "Well…when Aizen hit Ichigo with his kido spell, you threw Orihime out of the way and then…and then…."

Suddenly it all came back to her, trying to stop the Ryoka girl from becoming affected by Aizen's kido, too late to save herself. "So the boy, Ichigo you called him? He's… apart of my body now?"

She saw Ukitake blush before looking down. Wondering what he was staring at, Unohana looked down and almost screamed at her own pregnant belly. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" she uncharacterisitcally roared. "That's not supposed to happen!" She looked like she was five months pregnant.

"Wel… apparently even Aizen can't bat a thousand. His kido spell was done incorrectly and instead of just making your body a container for Ichigo's reishi and consciousness it well…condensed it… and reformed him inside you…."

"So…I'm pregnant with this boy?!" Unohana asked shocked.

Isane came in with a concerned face. "Captain Unohana, please calm down! Your condition…." She cringed with her own captain shot her an angry look and immediately left the room.

Sighing, Unohana lay back and rubbed her belly, concerned for the child inside her. "So what will happen to the boy? I imagine he'll be born differently?" she asked.

Kyoraku leaned forward in his seat. "We don't know. The spell was done incorrectly so who knows what complications will occur. Obviously the gestation will be accelerated but to what effects it will have on Ichigo, we'll just have to wait and see. Captain Kurotsuchi and the Kido Corps are scrounging through the archives, trying to learn all they can. In the meantime, we'll just have to wait." Refluffing Unohana's pillow, Kyoraku said "Please, Captian Unohana, try to relax and get some rest."

Taking a deep breath, Unohana laid back and closed her eyes. "Ok. May I have a few minutes alone?"

As the others left the room, Unohana stared down at her pregnant belly, containing the substitute soul reaper inside her. "Well, I guess for the moment, you and I are going to be stuck together, huh Ichigo Kurosaki?" Closing her eyes, Unohana gently lulled herself back to sleep….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Inside Unohana  
Ichigo POV**

 _"Where…where am I?"_

To Be Continued….

 **A.N.: WOO! And this marks my 50** **th** **story, multi-fics not including. Here's to another 50! And before anyone says "But Whacky, can't Orihime just reject Ichigo out of Unohana?" This is set before anyone understood what Orihime's full powers were.**


	2. Chapter 2

Congratulations! It's a…Ichigo?!  
Chapter 2  
IchigoXUnohana

 **Disclaimer: I don't own bleach.**

 _ **Inside Captain Unohana….  
**_ **Ichigo POV**

" _Where…where am I?"_ Ichigo asked. He tried to open his eyes but all he could see was blackness. He tried to move but found that he couldn't. He could hear voices but they sounded muffled, like they were passing through several barriers. The only real sense that remained to Ichigo was his sense of touch, feeling warmth like he'd never known. All around him it felt like he was being surrounded by warm, snug heat.

" _Wait…I remember now…I was fighting Byakuya, then Captain Aizen…then he beat me, then… then what?"_ He tried to remember what happened next. He knew that Aizen hit him with something, and then pain like he'd never experienced; like every cell in his body was being pulled apart then… nothing….

" _What happened to me? Am I…dead?"_

A voice came in, from where Ichigo couldn't figure out. It wasn't Zangetsu's voice. It was someone he'd never heard before.

"Far from it, Ichigo."

 **Squad 4 Medical Center: Unohana's Room  
Unohana POV**

"Far from it, Ichigo," Unohana said to the voice in her head. It was startling at first when she heard it. It certainly wasn't Minazuki. Only after she'd heard that last sentence did she realize she was in contact with Ichigo's consciousness. "Please calm down, Ichigo. It feels weird for me when you are in distress."

" _Wait, what do you mean "it feels weird for you", Lady?"_

Unohana frowned. "My name is not "Lady", Ichigo."

" _Ok, then who are you? And why can't I move or see anything?"_

"As for whom: I'm Retsu Unohana, Captain of Squad 4."

" _Oh. Ok then, I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. I'd say it's nice to meet you but I have no idea where I am."_

Unohana's frown lifted due to Ichigo's cordialness. ' _At least the boy had some manners at least_ ,' she noted. "This is going to be hard to take in but… right now you're inside of me."

"… _Come again?"_

Unohana could understand Ichigo's confusion and elaborated. "When Souske Aizen left, he assaulted you with a forbidden Kido spell. The spell was meant to tear your reishi body apart and insert you into a container. I was able to move your young friend out of the way before she became the container, but ended up being your vessel myself."

Ichigo's distress was apparent, feeling it like a shockwave in her mind. " _So I…I don't have a body anymore?"_ She could hear the fear that was apparent in the boy's thoughts and felt sorry for Ichigo. " _What am I supposed to do now? Can't you fix this?"_

Unohana looked down at her pregnant belly, currently containing the substitute in fetal form. "Not quite. Aizen didn't do the spell properly so there were…complications. Under normal circumstances, you'd just be a disembodied consciousness inside my head and nothing more. But…"

" _But what?"_

"I'm curious, Ichigo. Can you hear or feel anything?" she asked.

" _Um…yes and no? I can't really see anything and everything sounds muffled except for your voice, but I do feel…um…heat."_

 _"_ About that…the spell was done incorrectly, so instead of just being a voice in my head, my body took your reishi and reformed your body inside my womb."

" _…So…so I'm…"_ Ichigo was speechless at what she was saying. " _YOU'RE PREGNANT WITH ME?!"_

She rubbed her belly and sighed. The realization that she was about to become a mother hit her and she didn't quite know if she could handle it or not. "Yes," she weakly said.

" _Oh…"_ Ichigo felt disheartened at the notion of what had happened to him. " _Is…is there nothing you or the others can do?"_

"That remains to be seen. Captain Kurotsuchi and several others are sifting through the archives trying to locate any record of this ever happening. Also, I believe Lady Yoruichi left to enlist the aid from your mentor, Kisuke Urahara. For now, you should try to relax. Like I said, when you feel distress or anxiety I feel it too."

The conversation between them was interrupted when Orihime and Rukia opened the door. "Um, Captain Unohana? Who are you talking to?" Rukia asked politely. "We heard you talking but there's nobody else here so we came to see if you were alright."

Unohana smiled at the two, rubbing her pregnant belly. "Well, yes and no. I was just explaining the situation with your dear friend, Ichigo."

Orihime gasped. "You mean-"

"Yes. Ichigo's fully aware despite his body reforming as a fetus."

While Orihime was ecstatic to hear that Ichigo was alive (somewhat), Rukia was confused. "Wait, that makes zero sense, Captain Unohana. How can Ichigo be aware when his brain's now reduced to that of a baby's? He shouldn't be able to form thoughts, let alone be able to speak with you."

Looking back down at her belly, Unohana thought about it for a minute. "Hmm, perhaps it's a side effect of the kido. While his body's reduced to a fetus, his mind's perfectly intact. That was what the kido's original technique was supposed to do, so in a way it makes sense even when it doesn't in other ways."

"Oh," Orihime nodded. Leaning her face forward, she looked up at the pregnant captain. "Um…can I?"

Unohana smiled warmly at the orangette. "Go ahead. He's your friend after all."

Smiling in thanks, Orihime turned her head and pressed an ear to Unohana's belly, closing her eyes. After concentrating for a moment, Orihime could feel Ichigo's presence from within the woman, like a small ember deep inside her. "He's so small…" she said with a hint of sadness. Unohana could see hurt in her eyes. Hurt from what, she couldn't say. "Will he be alright?" Orihime asked looking up.

"He's ok for now. Scared, but ok," Unohana answered. Rukia's eyebrow rose. A scared Ichigo? Now that was a new one, although given the current circumstance that was to be expected. "Orihime. We should leave Captain Unohana alone to rest for now."

"Oh, ok." Orihime looked sad to leave Ichigo right now but knew she had a point. Putting an ear back onto Unohana's belly, Orihime spoke out loud to the baby Ichigo inside. "Don't worry, Ichigo. We'll have you back to normal…somehow…."

Unohana watched them leave, feeling curious about the human healer. "She certainly cares a great deal about you, Ichigo. It's quite touching how much concern she shows for you."

Ichigo was confused. " _Wait, what do you mean? Of course she'd be concerned. She's my friend."_

Unohana covered her hand so her giggle wouldn't be audible. ' _He doesn't even realize? That's so cute!'_ Chuckling, Unohana rubbed her belly, sitting up. "Still though, don't you think you should feel at least a little bit ashamed, Ichigo?"

" _What do you mean?"_

Unohana smiled as she slipped on her _haori_ , adjusting it so that her stomach didn't look so prominent. "You're already inside a woman and you never even bought me dinner. Shame on you!" she teased. She laughed when she felt Ichigo's embarrassment and his quick apology. "Don't worry, Ichigo. I'm only joking. But for now, let's try to get along. We'll be stuck like this for a while, after all."

Ichigo readily agreed, though as Unohana began to walk he felt weird, feeling her body move around him. " _Um…what's happening?"_

"I'm heading for the Head-Captain's. Rukia handed me a message that said that all available captains are needed so I'm heading there. Try not to speak, Ichigo. You need to rest too."

Ichigo pipped down in agreement, drifting to sleep as Captain Unohana walked on….

To Be Continued….


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
IchigoXUnohana

 _ **At the Captain's meeting….  
**_ **Squad 1: Head-Captain's meeting room  
Unohana/Ichigo POV**

Ichigo was fast asleep inside Unohana's belly as she walked into the Head-Captain's office. All the other captains present turned and saw the woman enter. Aside from her, Ukitake, Kyoraku and the Head-Captain, those who'd emerged from the recent catastrophe unscathed (unless you exempt Unohana for obvious reasons), the only captains present were Kenpachi, Soi-Fon and Kurotsuchi. Komamura, Byakuya and Hitsugaya were all still in bad condition due to their injuries.

Ukitake spoke first. "Captain Unohana, are you sure you should be up?"

Smiling, Unohana nodded to the white-haired man. "Yes. Pregnant or not, I'm still the captain of Squad 4 and I intend to fulfill my duties as such. Besides, I really needed to stretch my legs. I'd forgotten how restless you get after being asleep for several days."

"Very well then," Head-Captain Yamamoto said, nodding to the captain. "Captain Unohana. What is the condition of Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Looking down at her belly, Unohana smiled. "Yes, he's alright. It was a bit unsettling for us both when he first awakened but I think we're starting to get used to being connected."

"Hmmm…very interesting…" Mayuri Kurotsuchi noted. "I wonder how the boy will look once you've given birth to him. I've scoured through every recorded use of the kido that Aizen used but nowhere does it ever mention the technique failing like this. I should take a sample of him when he's born and see how his DNA's configured now." He walked forward and leaned his head down and looked at her bulging belly. "If he even comes out as a _he_ to begin with…."

Unohana's eyes narrowed in annoyance and anger. "Captain Kurotsuchi. That will not be necessary."

"I disagree. I believe that we should closely examine the child so that we can figure out where the spell went wro-GRRRK!"

Unohana's rage went from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye. Before any of the captains could stop her, her hand went to Kurotsuchi's throat and she lifted him up. The other captains paled when they saw the look of sheer anger on her face. Mayuri's face started to match his hair as her grip on his throat tightened. "You stay the hell away from me, you psychotic little freak! I'LL-"

"Captain Unohana! Control yourself!" Yamamoto ordered. As the woman turned to face him, his face turned grave and he unsealed his cane. "Drop him. Immediately!" All the other captains took a step back, even Kenpachi, who didn't want to deal with a wildly moody Unohana.

Sighing in reluctance, Unohana let go of Mayuri, who crumpled to the floor. Unohana quickly calmed down, realizing that her body was now slave to wild mood swings. " _Captain Unohana? Are you ok? I felt something really hot and it woke me up."_ Unohana inwardly cursed. She had forgotten that she shared a connection with Ichigo and the connection worked both ways. "I apologize, Head-Captain. I don't know what came over me."

"Please, Captain, control your emotions!" Ukitake pleaded. "It's not safe for you or Ichigo!"

Mayuri glared up at the woman as he fell back in line, scowling at the woman. This was not over between them….

 _ **Later that day….  
**_ **SWA Meeting Room  
Unohana/Ichigo POV**

All eyes turned to Unohana as she walked into the room, who simply smiled as she sat down next to Nanao and Isane. " _…I get the feeling everyone's staring at me…."_ Ichigo said from within her.

Everyone watched in confusion as Unohana giggled. "Something the matter, Captain Unohana?" Rangiku asked.

"Oh, it's just that Ichigo suddenly seems embarrassed, being the center of attention." Seeing the confused looks on everybody, Unohana elaborated. "Ichigo's mind and mine are connected and so I can hear his thoughts."

Nanao looked at her curiously. "He's fully conscious? That's bizarre, even for a failed kido."

All eyes turned to Rukia when she raised a hand. Given permission to speak, Rukia asked the question that had been on her mind for days. "I've been thinking… what if you give birth to Ichigo and he doesn't come out as a boy?"

"… _SAY WHAT_?!" Ichigo screamed, making Unohana wince in pain.

"Captain?"

Looking down, Unohana frowned at her belly. "Ichigo, calm down. That actually hurt me, you know."

" _Sorry… it's just that I never thought about that…."_

Ignoring the one-sided conversation in front of them, Rangiku spoke as she turned to Rukia. "So… exactly how are you going to break this to his family? I mean, the whole Soul Reaper part will be hard enough to explain, especially the part where he went off to save you. But this…" she stared at Unohana for a moment, lifting an eyebrow. "How exactly are you supposed to break the fact that he's now a fetus inside another woman's womb to his mom and dad?"

Unohana noticed a subtle shift in Ichigo's emotions and knew that the lieutenant had hit a nerve, like he wasn't mad or angry but more of a somber depression.

Rukia hesitated before answering. She didn't feel right talking about Ichigo when he couldn't speak for himself. "Right now, a Mod Soul's in his body in the World of the Living so we don't have to worry about him being missed by his friends."

"A Mod Soul?" Unohana asked, remembering the failed Project Spearhead.

" _Don't ask, I'll tell you later…."_

"As for his family…" Rukia hesitated again, looking at Unohana with worried eyes. "It's only his dad and two sisters. His mom died when he was nine," she said before letting the matter drop. It wasn't her place to say any more.

Unohana's eyes narrowed as she contemplated on Rukia's words. Obviously she knew something about Ichigo's mother that she wasn't comfortable saying out loud. She made a mental note to gently ask Ichigo about his family when he was up to it and when they were alone.

Deciding that the mood was getting too dark, Nanao turned back to Unohana. "Captain Unohana, is there anything we can get you? You seem a little uncomfortable."

Unohana sat back and sighed. "Right now, the only thing I want is strawberries. And LOTS of them…."

Many of the SWA sweatdropped. And so the food cravings begin….

To Be Continued….


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _ **Several weeks later….  
**_ **Unohana's Room  
Unohana/Ichigo POV**

The pregnant captain sat in her chair, drinking a cup of tea as she chatted away with Ichigo. "Hmm…your father, Ichigo. He sounds very familiar…."

" _I don't know. Has there been any Soul Reapers by the name of Kurosaki?"_

Closing her eyes, Unohana thought back to the vast list of Soul Reapers who'd served under her and the other captains. But try all she might, no Soul Reaper whose last name was Kurosaki sprung to mind. "I can't recall any Soul Reapers with your last name, though I may be wrong. You say your sisters are spiritually aware?"

" _Uh huh. Ghosts are a blur to Yuzu, but she still sees them. Karin pretends not to see them but the fact remains."_

"Hmm…interesting." She put down her tea and tapped her chin. "That must mean your inborn powers are hereditary. It's possible you have a distant ancestor. Or perhaps…." It occurred to her that there was a possibility that his father was hiding something from his son. "Could your father be…."

" _Um…Captain Unohana? I…There's been something I've been meaning to ask you for a while. It's been bugging me ever since day one and I've really had nothing to do but think."_

Unohana looked down at her pregnant belly, looking seven months pregnant, which contained the imprisoned Ichigo. "What is it?"

Silence filled her ears for a moment before Ichigo spoke. " _What's…what's going to happen to me? When I'm born from you?"_

As Ichigo asked that, Unohana felt a familiar wave of anxiety hit her and tried to stifle the massive panic attack. She'd been having these off and on every few days, which was why everyone was keeping a good distance from the moody captain; especially after what happened the first time it happened….

 _ **10 Days Ago….  
**_ **Squad 4 Hallway  
Unohana POV**

Ichigo was sleeping while Unohana walked calmly down the hall. Smiling at her staring nurses, she turned the corner and saw Isane with Rukia and Orihime, talking at the end of the hall. As she moved to go over to them, she walked in front of a full-length mirror the squad had set up on the wall for taking measurements.

And then she got a look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes widened as she saw her pregnant belly bulging from her black _shihakusho_. Even with a wider outfit it was still prominent. While staring at herself, the realization of her situation finally hit her: she was pregnant.

She was going to have a baby.

She was…going to be a mother.

Panic and anxiety swamped her in an instant. Her hands went to the sides of her head as she felt tears descend down her face. "No…" she whispered as she stared at herself. "No no no no no!"

The girls saw Captain Unohana crumple to her knees and ran over to assist her. "Captain Unohana!" Isane put a hand on her shoulder and knelt down. "What's wrong?"

"No no no no no!" Unohana kept saying as tears fell down her face. "It's too soon! I'm not ready to be a mother! I'm not ready!" she buried her face in Isane's shoulder and sobbed. Rukia and Orihime simply stood there stunned as Unohana continued to cry into her lieutenant for what felt like forever….

 _ **Back to the Present….  
**_ **Unohana/Ichigo POV**

"I…" Unohana hesitated before rubbing her belly, taking a deep breath. "I guess I'll be your mother from now on…."

 _"…."_

"Ichigo?"

" _…I already have a mom…."_

Realizing she'd struck a nerve,Unohana tried to correct herself. "I mean I'll be taking care of you until we're able to reverse Aizen's kido effect. I…" she suddenly felt ashamed at herself. "I can feel it within you, Ichigo. Whenever you sleep, I can see snippets of your dreams if I concentrate; you're constantly dreaming of your mother. I know I can't take her place and I wouldn't dream of it. I'm sorry for suggesting I'm being your mother's replacement." She smiled warmly as she closed her eyes. "I can tell she meant a lot to you."

" _Yeah…"_ Unohana could feel Ichigo's sadness. " _I just…I just miss my Dad and sisters… that's all…There's not a lot to do in here and my mind keeps wandering to my friends and family."_

Sitting back in her chair, Unohana relaxed now that their tense moment had passed. "It occurs to me, Ichigo, that I know so little about the boy inside me. Why don't you tell me about yourself? I'm interested in hearing your story, since you are the hero of the hour."

" _Hero?"_

Unohana giggled. "Well, you did brave through the entire 13 Court Guard Squads to rescue Rukia Kuchiki from her execution. Many of the officers see you as a hero for your bravery; you even broke Captain Kuchiki's stoic attitude. I was there myself when you interrupted the execution. That was quite the spectacular entrance." She smiled warmly as she remembered Ichigo taking on Captain Kuchiki. "Yes, you were quite the dashing hero," she said, chuckling at Ichigo's embarrassment.

For the next couple of hours Ichigo told her all about himself: life with his father and sisters, his friends at school, his encounter with Rukia that changed everything and his struggles as a Substitute Soul Reaper, even the tragedy regarding his mother and Grand Fisher.

Unohana was about to go and grab a bite to eat when her door opened. To her utter shock, there standing in the doorway was the last person she'd expected to see: Kenpachi Zaraki. And he was holding…a teddy bear? "Captain Zaraki," she addressed, slowly getting up. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Glancing at her stomach containing Ichigo, Kenpachi walked over to Unohana and held out the teddy bear. "Here."

Unohana took the present confused. "What…?"

Kenpachi looked down at where Ichigo slumbered. "That's for Ichigo. It's one of Yachiru's. She wanted him to have it." Kneeling down until his face was level with her pregnant belly, Kenpachi addressed the substitute inside. "Hey, Ichigo! Don't think this means you're getting out of our rematch! As soon as we're able to put you back together, we're gonna have another fight. Until then, you're Yachiru's playmate!" He stood back up and turned his attention back to Unohana. "It's all she's been saying lately; she wanted to make Ichigo her little brother or sister."

It took every ounce of restraint to keep herself from laughing. "I see… I'm sure Ichigo will be delighted to have an older sister." She smiled warmly at Kenpachi left the room, staring at his gift and setting it in the crib her subordinates gave her. "Well, that was…interesting…."

 _"…I've no idea what just happened but I get the feeling that it was beyond weird…"_ Unohana felt Ichigo shudder within her, making her shudder as well. " _Just hearing his voice puts me on edge. If I was still in my body the scar on my stomach would be burning… he's crazy."_

Sitting back down, Unohana untied her braid, revealing the scar on her chest. "I agree. Every time he speaks, my scar aches and my blood boils…."

" _Um…Captain Unohana?"_

Unohana took a deep breath before continuing. "Please, Ichigo, call me Retsu. Since you've told me all about you, it would be rude of me not to return the favor." She traced the scar on her chest and closed her eyes. "How much do you know of the 13 Court Guard Squads?"

" _Not much, just that there's 13 Squads and how the ranks are broken down. Also, Rukia told me that you guys had some sort of Soul Reaper school."_

"Hmm…you'd think she'd have instructed you a little more on our ways," Unohana mused. "No matter. To begin then: the Squads were formed by the Head-Captain over a thousand years ago. I was one of the original thirteen captains. Or to be more precise, I was the first captain of Squad 11."

Ichigo lay inside her baffled by the information. " _Wait, WHAT?!"_

"Yes, years ago I was the first leader of Squad 11. Back then I was known as Yachiru Unohana."

" _Wait…that name…."_

Smiling, Unohana nodded. "Yes, Captain Zaraki named his daughter after me. We had a certain…confrontation years ago and the encounter left an impression on both of us. That scar running down the side of his face? I gave him that."

" _Wow…you're really strong?"_

"Well, it's been a long time since then and a lot's happened. Now I'm a healer rather than I fighter." She rubbed her belly again before getting up. "Now try to rest, Ichigo. Take your mind off of things and relax."

As Ichigo fell back asleep as she was leaving, Unohana closed her eyes and saw an image of a young woman holding a small boy with orange hair, feeling the echo of happiness….

To Be Continued….


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _ **One Week Later….  
**_ **Squad 4  
Ichigo/Unohana POV**

As Unohana was talking to Isane and the other girls at an SWA meeting, Ichigo was stirring inside. He felt restless, after developing his hands and feet. But more than that, the substitute felt…claustrophobic. It could've been because of the mental connection he shared with Unohana but every day he'd feel panic and fear take hold of him, and now he was at his limit. The hot heat surrounding him seemed unbearable. ' _I can't take it anymore!'_ he thought panicking. ' _Someone let me out of here! I have to get out of here! LetmeoutletmeoutletmeoutletmeoutLETMEOUTLETMEOUT!'_

The SWA were startled when Unohana bent over, her eyes going wide. "Captain Unohana!" Isane rushed to her side, thinking that the pregnant captain was having another panic attack. "What's wrong?"

"My…my water broke!"

 _ **An hour later….**_

 __"GHAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The lieutenants and captains assembled outside Unohana's room all covered their ears as they listened to Unohana's screams. "Wow," Rukia muttered beside her brother and Ukitake. "This makes me never want to have kids…."

Ukitake put a hand on her shoulder before taking it off to cover his ears again as Unohana let out another cry of pain. "To be fair, she wasn't exactly planning on having children anytime soon."

Orihime, Uryu and Chad, who'd remained in the Soul Society to make sure Ichigo was ok, stood next to the door concerned. Against their better judgement, the trio opened the door a crack and peered inside.

"AHHHHHH! IT HURTS!"

Lying on the bed was Captain Unohana, her braid untied and her hair spilled down her shoulders and back. However, her face showed nothing but agony as she went through the throes of childbirth. In front of her was Isane with Hanataro at her side, doing his best to comfort her. Every ten seconds or so she'd throw her head back as another wave of pain hit her, throwing out obscenities that the human trio didn't even know existed in the dictionary. Embarrassed by what they saw, except Uryu since he was used to the sight from his father's work, they closed the door and sweatdropped. "Is Ichigo going to be alright?" Orihime asked worriedly.

"It's not his body I'm worried about, it's his mind," Uryu noted. Pushing his glasses up, he turned towards the door. "None of us remember being born, so who knows how traumatic it's going to be for Ichigo for him to be born again."

"Not to worry," Kyoraku said as he walked over to him. "You friend Ichigo's a strong one. He's survived worse. I'm positive he can handle this." Uryu nodded in thanks to the Soul Reaper. Looking around at the assembled captains, Kyoraku frowned. Of the remaining 10 captains, with the exclusion of Unohana, the only ones missing were captains Soi-Fon and Kurotsuchi. But he knew that Soi-Fon was absent since she'd left to go fetch Yoruichi, which just left the mad scientist. "Where's Captain Kurotsuchi? I'd figure he'd be here to observe this. It's not everyday something like this happens."

None of the captains answered. The Head-Captain looked like he was about to say something but was cut off when Unohana's cries silenced him. Hearing the strong woman scream made Orihime worry for her, having come to like the woman after spending time with her and Ichigo for the past several weeks. "Is she going to be ok? She sounds like she's in a lot of pain…."

Kyoraku smiled at the worried girl. "You can relax, Miss Inoue. She's a strong woman. She'll be fine-"

"GAHHHHHHHH!"

"…Maybe…."

In the room itself, Unohana's head felt like it was going to explode. Not only was she suffering the normal pains of childbirth, but the mental connection between them made the pain magnified. For what seemed like forever Unohana endured the massive pain, Isane continuously telling her to push as Ichigo started to emerge from her.

Just when everyone thought that this was going to go on forever, the sound of a baby crying resonating out into the hallway. The door opened and the captains and lieutenants stuck their heads inside, seeing Isane holding a small baby. She'd done this many times, but this was the first time in her life where saying it felt weird. "It's a boy!" Both Rukia and Orihime breathed a sigh of relief, not sure if they could handle the weirdness of a female Ichigo.

Unohana lay back against the bed, taking deep breaths as Isane wrapped up the baby Ichigo and handed him to her. "Here, Captain Unohana. It's…" once again Isane suddenly felt weird as she said the words. "It's your new son."

Taking the blue bundle from Isane, Unohana stared down at the baby boy in her arms. "Hello there, little one," she said smiling down at her newborn. "Welcome back, Ichigo."

The baby's eyes opened and he gave another cry. Despite the loud noise, it was another voice that drifted into Unohana's mind. " _Hi Retsu…."_

Unohana's eyes widened in shock; even though she was no longer Ichigo's container, the mental connection between them still existed. ' _Well that's going to be hard to get used to….'_

The others looked on as Unohana cradled Ichigo when they heard a voice from behind them. "Oh my." Turning around, the group saw Yoruichi and Soi-Fon running up. "We stopped hearing screaming and started to get worried," Yoruichi said, pushing past everyone and walking into the room, a baby bottle in her hands. "Oh my goodness! He's adorable!" Yoruichi giggled.

Unohana smiled before spying the bottle in her hands. "What's in your hands, Lady Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi grinned and held up the bottle, full of a purple liquid. "When I told Kisuke what had happened when Ichigo and the others never returned, he worked to create a formula that would help age Ichigo. Unfortunately, this won't turn him back to the young man who we trained, but it will at least age him to the point where he can move and act on his own." Unohana nodded. "You want to give it to him now?"

Rocking Ichigo back and forth, Unohana thought about it for a minute before shaking her head. "In a little while. I just…" she looked down at baby Ichigo and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I want to enjoy this for just a little bit longer." Yoruichi looked at her in surprise but smiled down at the woman, understanding after looking at the peaceful look on baby Ichigo.

 _ **Two Hours Later….**_

Ichigo was sound asleep, sleeping peacefully in his crib over by an open window. Aside from the resting captain and Isane, only the group that had come to rescue Rukia was in the room along with Yoruichi and Rukia. "How are you feeling, Captain Unohana?" Orihime asked.

"Better." Unohana lay back against the pillow and sighed. "I've helped countless women give birth in the past but I'd never imagined I'd go through something that painful myself…."

Isane walked over to the captain, a sheet of paper in her hands. "Um… Captain Unohana? I don't know if this is appropriate or not but…."

"But what?"

"It's about Ichigo's birth certificate. What exactly do we put on it regarding his name and his father?"

An awkward silence filled the room for a moment. Chad looked over at the baby Ichigo then turned back to Unohana. "Wouldn't his name be Ichigo Unohana now?"

Unohana sat back and thought about it. "I suppose so. Until we can turn him back to normal, why don't we humor the idea and give him my last name for the moment."

Nodding, Isane wrote it down on the certificate before looking up again. "And his father? Who exactly do we put down…Aizen?"

Uryu sweatdropped. "Well, in a way he DID cause Unohana to become pregnant with Ichigo, so I guess we can humor the idea that Ichigo's his father-"

"We're not doing that!"

Everyone turned and was shocked to see Whackybiscuit, the author's head sticking out through the halfway opened door. "That's a different story! Therefore: we're not doing that!" Whackybiscuit turned to Isane and Unohana. "Just put Ichigo's real dad on the certificate. Put down Aizen, Isane, and I'll write you in a new story where you're a furry!" Whackybiscuit said before leaving, slamming the door.

Everyone stared in complete confusion at the door. "Who the heck was that?" Rukia asked.

"Geez, this place is filled with whackos popping up," Uryu noted.

"Agreed," Unohana said before closing her eyes, feeling exhausted from her ordeal.

Everyone was about to leave the room and give the newly made mother-and-child some space when Orihime screamed at the top of her lungs. "OH NO! ICHIGO!"

Everyone whirled around and saw to their horror Ichigo's crib empty, the newborn substitute gone with the summer breeze drifting through the opened window….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **R &D Department, Squad 12**

Nemu entered the laboratory, a blue bundle in her arms. "Master Mayuri. I was successful in acquiring Ichigo Kurosaki."

Working at a lab table, the mad scientist turned around and smiled. "Excellent work, Nemu," he said, giving his daughter a rare moment of praise. Taking the blue bundle from her, Mayuri leered down at the crying Ichigo. "Well hello there, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Ichigo cried when he saw that he was in the hands of the insane captain. "Whoops! You're quite right; it's Ichigo Unohana now, right?"

Mayuri set the baby on the table and grabbed a wicked looking instrument.

"Now then, Ichigo…let's see what makes you tick!"

To Be Continued

 **A.N.: That's right, I totally just broke the fourth wall!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 **Unohana's Room  
Unohana POV**

Unohana stared at the empty crib, unable to stop the tears from falling down her face as panic set it. "Ichigo…" she muttered, her strength gone after enduring the hours of going through painful childbirth. Every second she stared at the empty crib made her body go cold.

The others stared in abject horror at the empty crib along with the new mother. Orihime's eyes were widened, the hazel irises swiveling as they processed the image to her brain. Rukia and the others stood there, shock and horror on their faces for a moment before snapping out of their daze. "We have to find him!" Uryu said, taking charge of the situation. Throwing the door open, he rushed out into the hallway. "Chad! Whoever took him couldn't have gotten far! You go out through the window and see if you can spot the kidnapper! I'll search the building!"

Nodding, the tall human leapt out the window in search of anyone carrying the baby Ichigo, leaving the women inside. Orihime and Rukia looked to see Unohana crying her eyes out, feeling the same terror she was feeling just thinking of how horrible the situation was. Rukia's hands turned to fists, her knuckles turning white as anger surged through her. "We just finally got Ichigo out of Captain Unohana and now this?! Could it be Aizen?" Yoruichi scowled and thought about it for a moment before Rukia ran out of the room. "I'll find my brother and alert the other captains! Orihime, wait here with Captain Unohana!"

Orihime nodded, feeling helpless and scared for Ichigo. Yoruichi went to Unohana's side, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It will be alright, Captain. We'll fine Ichigo. However kidnapped him couldn't have gotten far."

Taking deep breaths, Unohana was about to suffer the biggest panic attack of her life when a thought came to her. ' _Wait…the mental connection! Ichigo's body is no longer connected to mine but the link between our minds is still there! If I just concentrate hard enough….'_ Pushing away the terror and the panic from her mind, Unohana closed her eyes and concentrated. " _Ichigo? Ichigo, can you hear me? Please say something! Ichigo!"_

After a moment, an image pieced itself together into her mind, as if she was suddenly seeing things from Ichigo's point of view. The image was blurry at first but soon came into focus revealing to Unohana…Mayuri Kurotsuchi leering down at her while holding a nasty looking knife.

Orihime and Yoruichi were startled when Unohana's head snapped up, her eyes red with rage. "Mayuri! Mayuri stole Ichigo!" Orihime gasped in horror, remembering her encounter with the mad scientist while Yoruichi paled, knowing better than anyone the scientist's sadistic ways.

Despite the fact that she'd given birth just several hours ago, Unohana found her strength. It didn't matter what the circumstances were or how they came to be: She was a mother and Mayuri stole her baby.

The two women were shocked as Unohana threw back the covers and hopped out of bed, throwing on a spare _shihakusho_ and grabbing her zanpakuto. "Lady Yoruichi," she addressed. "Come with me. We're going to get Ichigo back. Miss Inoue, stay here. We'll be back shortly…."

Orihime watched the two women leave in a flash, feeling fear not just from the situation… but from the look of absolute rage in the woman's eyes. "Wow…she's really scary…."

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Mayuri's Lab  
Ichigo POV**

"WAHHHHHHHHH!" baby Ichigo screamed as Mayuri looked on, a nerve bulging in the mad scientist's head.

"Good grief! This little brat does not know when to shut up! I know you're self-aware, Ichigo Unohana, so you can stop crying!" Mayuri screamed over Ichigo's crying. No matter how loud he yelled though, Ichigo continued to wail, his cries filling the lab. "Grrrr!" Mayuri whirled around to his lieutenant/daughter. "Nemu! Put Ichigo into the soundproof cage while I go grab a silence collar! We should have one that will fit a baby…."

Nemu watched as her father went off into the supply room before walking over to the lab table. Ichigo continued to cry as Nemu gently picked him up, walking over to a glass box over on a table by the far wall. Settling Ichigo down in it, Nemu closed the lid and hit a button. Sweet merciful silence entered the lab for the first time in minutes. Ichigo's cries and screaming was now muffled by the container. Now the boy was unable to cry out for help anymore. ' _Someone help! That psycho's gonna cut me to pieces!'_ the infant cried out, his voice nothing but an endless wail. ' _Uryu! Chad! Orihime! Yoruichi! Retsu! MOM! ANYONE!'_

Mayuri returned, thankful to hear Ichigo's crying no more. In his hands was a tiny black collar. Opening the cage, Mayuri placed the collar on Ichigo. He grinned as baby Ichigo's mouth opened, only for no sound to emerge. "Much better." Lifting Ichigo out of the box, the mad captain placed him back on the table and grabbed the knife. "Now that we've silenced your petulant screaming, I think I'll start with a tissue sample." Ichigo cried and screamed silently as the knife inched ever closer….

" _ **MAYURI!**_ " came a voice, echoing throughout the room like an angry beast's growl. Mayuri and Nemu whirled around to see the lab door, made from indestructible titanium, be cut to pieces. Stomping into the lab past the shredded door came Retsu Unohana, with a look on her face that Mayuri, Nemu or Yoruichi, who was following close behind her, had never known. Her hair was not in its usual braid, and her gentle, warm smile was now replaced with a fearsome scowl, her blue eyes almost glowing with pure rage. The look of rage intensified when she saw the knife in Mayuri's hand. "Lady Yoruichi…" she said, not taking her eyes off of Mayuri. "Please grab Ichigo and take him back to my room. Give him the formula Kisuke Urahara made also." She saw Mayuri bristle in anger at the mention of Kisuke Urahara but paid no mind. "I won't be long. I'll just be having a _**CONVERSATION**_ with Mayuri…."

Gulping in nervousness, Yoruichi did as she asked. Mayuri was unable to stop the Flash Goddess as she flashstepped to the table, grabbing Ichigo. She quickly undid the collar around the newborn's throat. Ichigo's screams returned but only for a moment. When he looked up and saw that he was in the arms of Yoruichi he quieted down, smiling up at the woman. "Shhhh…" Yoruichi cooed. "Don't be scared, Ichigo. I'll get you out of here."

Mayuri shouted at the werecat as she left with the rescued Ichigo. "Wait! I was in the middle of important research that could determine how-" He was cut off when he was suddenly greeted with the sharp end of Minazuki hovering inches from his face. He looked to his side to call for Nemu, hoping to use her as a meat-shield, but was shocked to discover that she'd vanished! Apparently her sense of loyalty to her father did not extend to defending him from a vengeful Unohana….

"Mayuri…" Unohana said, her eyes glaring with pure malice. For the first time in Mayuri's life, he knew fear as he stared at the face of Unohana. It was not the kind and loving Retsu Unohana that he'd dealt with on a day-to-day basis. No, it was the face of a woman he'd only heard about in the most hushed whispers, that of one of the most diabolical villains in the history of the Soul Society: Yachiru Unohana, the first Kenpachi. "While it is true that Ichigo only came to be born from me thanks to the machinations of Souske Aizen and I'll be the first to admit that I was rather nervous about becoming a parent, the fact of the matter remains: _**ICHIGO IS MY SON AND YOU STOLE HIM FROM ME!**_ "

Knowing that he was too far in to back out now, Mayuri countered the captain. "I was trying to conduct an experiment that would've been able to discover how to restore him to normal! If you hadn't-"

" _ **SHUT UP!**_ " Unohana roared, silencing the scared Mayuri. "You were getting ready to dissect him like some lab rat! To think that you would stoop so low as to snatch a baby from his crib right after he'd been born…" her eyes narrowed, making Mayuri gulp, "You disgust me. You are going to stay away from Ichigo and me and you will never try to harm either my son or his friends ever again!"

Slowly, Mayuri nodded. "Fine. If that's your wish since you're the boy's mother I'll concede-"

"Oh no," Unohana said smiling a wicked smile, all of her pent up anger coming out at once. "When I said you will never harm Ichigo and his friends again, I wasn't making a deal with you… you're going to stay away from me and my son from now on, and to make sure that you do… _ **YOU'RE GOING TO PAY DEARLY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!**_ "

Nemu was running out of the building, scared more than she'd ever been in her life, when she'd started to hear her father scream….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Unohana's Room  
Yoruichi POV**

Yoruichi hurried into the captain's room, baby Ichigo in her arms still wrapped up in his blue blanket. She saw to her surprise Rukia and Captain Kuchiki in the room. The two Kuchiki's breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the baby in her arms. "Ichigo! You're safe!"

"What happened?" Byakuya asked his fellow captain.

"Kurotsuchi." Yoruichi scowled. "That psycho had Nemu grab Ichigo from his crib when we were all distracted by some whacko. Captain Unohana's dealing with him right now." She was about to put Ichigo back into his crib when it occurred to her that he would soon be too big for a crib. "Byakuya. Could you hold Ichigo for a few moments while Rukia and I fetch the formula?"

Nodding, Byakuya held up his hands, gently allowing Yoruichi to place the blue bundle in his hands. As the werecat and his sister left, Byakuya stared down at baby Ichigo, who in turn stared up at him. Suddenly Byakuya felt really awkward holding the infant. The last time the two were this close Byakuya had been doing everything in his power to kill the boy and now here he was so tiny, so fragile.

Byakuya sat down on the bed, continuing to look down at Ichigo awkwardly. The feeling was mutual for Ichigo; he'd never really liked the man and now the guy who'd almost killed him (thrice) was now holding his entire body in his arms. For Byakuya the moment was doubly awkward since it sparked an old memory of him and his wife, Hisana. The two had been talking about having children after Hisana had located her sister but that dream never came to fruition with Hisana's passing. ' _Hmm, funny. All this time and I've never even considered being a father…._ '

The mood was broken when Byakuya smelled something foul coming from Ichigo. His awkward gaze was replaced by a scowl. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" he asked annoyed.

Ichigo giggled.

 _ **Minutes Later….**_

 __After Yoruichi had returned with the formula, and had quickly changed Ichigo, she took the bottle and began to let the infant drink the purple liquid. Orihime soon came back with Uryu and Chad, who were both glad to see Ichigo alright. As Ichigo was about halfway done with the bottle Unohana returned. Though it was of no real surprise the group was put off by the captain's appearance.

She was covered all over in blood.

"You can relax," she said smiling, back to her normal persona. "The blood's not mine. If you'll excuse me, I need a quick shower…."

Everyone stared as she went into the adjacent bathroom connected to her quarters. Rukia let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness she's calmed down. I know she's rather protective of Isane and her squad's officers but she's gone from a mother bear to a mother T-Rex…."

Everyone nodded before Yoruichi stood up, putting down the empty bottle. "There, and now we wait." She laid Ichigo on the bed and moved to the door. "We should leave. Kisuke said that the formula takes a little while to take effect and that we should let Ichigo recover in peace. He needs it after the day he's had. Why don't we go wait out in the hallway while Captain Unohana finishes her shower."

The group left the room and stood out in the hallway. "So what happens now?" Orihime asked Yoruichi. "Will that drink age Ichigo back to his normal age?"

To the disappointment of everyone, Yoruichi shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Orihime. Kisuke tried his very hardest but that formula was the best even he could come up with. He predicted that Ichigo won't age to even full adolescence, maybe to about 8 or 9 years old in about human age, but that amount that I just gave Ichigo was all the boy could take. If he'd been given any more than Ichigo's body would've started to become unstable and who knows what could've happened.. At least this way he can speak and move about on his own. It will give us time to find a way to turn Ichigo back to his normal 15 year old, orange haired self."

"There's been something I've been wondering about," Uryu said looking at the werecat. "What about his Soul Reaper powers? Will he even be able to enter his human body anymore now that he's been reborn as a full-blood Soul Reaper?"

"Kisuke and I have a theory about that," Yoruichi explained. "Though his physical appearance may change slightly, the baseline of his DNA and his soul are untouched; it's only his outer shell that's been affected. Kisuke theorized that Ichigo will be able to use his zanpakuto once he's at an age where he can use it."

"At least we know Ichigo's in good hands," Orihime noted cheerfully. "Unohana seems like good person and I think she's gotten over her fear of being a mother now." Everyone looked at her funny and thought the same thing. ' _Did she totally just forget that Unohana came in covered in blood?'_

Speak of the devil and the devil will appear. The group was startled when the door opened up. Now cleaned of Mayuri's blood, Unohana was dressed in a fluffy white bathrobe and smiling prettily.

And in her arms she carried a nine year old black haired boy. As the boy opened his eyes they were shocked to see deep blue eyes in the place of where Ichigo's dark brown used to be. Turning his head, Ichigo smiled at the group when he saw their happy faces.

"Everyone, meet Ichigo Unohana…."

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Mayuri's Lab**

Yamamoto and the other captains, sans Unohana and Byakuya, walked into Mayuri's private lab.

…Or what was left of it.

Electricity sparked from destroyed monitors, tools lay destroyed and thrown about and the lab table looked like a butcher's workshop, covered in blood. Soi-Fon gulped as she looked around at the carnage of the destroyed lab. "So where's Kurotsuchi? Is he dead?"

"No."

The captains turned around to see Nemu walking into the lab. Everyone stared at the object she was carrying in her arms: a large jar. Inside the jar, filled with blue liquid, was a human brain. "During Captain Unohana's rampage, Master Mayuri was able to use his liquefying modification to escape death but…" she looked at the jar with a sad face. "The trauma that Master Mayuri endured was immense. He should've been able to reform his head by now, however, only his brain has materialized." She pressed a button on the side. "I'll turn on the jar's audio speakers."

 _Click!_

"AHHHHHHHHHHH! MAKE HER STOP! GET HER AWAY! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

 _Click!_

Silence filled the room as everyone stared at the brain in the jar. Komamura scratched the back of his head awkwardly as Hitsugaya walked over to the blood-covered table, observing the carnage. "Will Captain Unohana be held accountable for this?" he asked worriedly.

Yamamoto looked around and shivered; it'd been so long since he'd seen her capable of carnage like this that the sight now was almost too much. "No," he said after thinking it for a moment. "Captain Kurotsuchi brought this upon himself when he resorted to kidnapping an innocent. What resulted was a spurned mother's wrath. We will not pursue the matter any further."

Nemu looked at the captains as they left through the destroyed door before setting the jar with her father's brain in it on a nearby shelf, the only one that hadn't been sliced to pieces. Looking around, she gave a rare sigh.

"…I'll get the mop…."

To be continued….


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 _ **The Next Morning  
**_ **Unohana's Room  
Ichigo POV**

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, feeling tired despite the long rest. Sitting up, the little boy stretched his arms out, feeling newly made bones pop into place and looked around. "What happened? Where am I?" he asked aloud, not familiar with his surroundings. He sort of remembered this room from yesterday but he couldn't really remember much.

"Awake I see?" came a voice from beside him.

Turning around, Ichigo saw a woman who'd also been in the large bed sit up. He couldn't help but blush when he saw her beautiful face; she was a mature woman with hair of dark ebony. The woman smiled at Ichigo, patting his head gently. "Are you alright, Ichigo? You've had quite a day yesterday."

Ichigo recognized the woman's voice. "You're Retsu?"

"Yes I am. Welcome back to our world, Ichigo."

The woman sat up and went through a drawer, pulling out a tiny _shihakusho_ , courtesy of Yachiru. "Here, Ichigo. Let me get you dressed."

Ichigo would've told his new mother that he was perfectly capable of putting his clothes on but when he tried to stand up, he was overcome by waves of dizziness. Retsu rushed over to his side, keeping him from falling down and setting him back on the bed. "Easy there, Ichigo. You were literally born yesterday. We've been able to age your body to this point but your muscles and reflexes are still new. You'll have to take things slow for a while. Until then, you'll be exhausted easily." Ichigo sat there while Retsu dressed him. It was a little awkward to let her strip him and then redress him but he figured he'd deal with it until he got used to his new tiny body.

Taking him by the hand, Unohana led her new son into the bathroom to deal with his bed-hair. As Ichigo sat on a stool and let Unohana comb his hair, he stared at his reflection in sheer disbelief. While his face was the same as before, albeit younger, his eyes were a bright blue and his hair…his hair was no longer orange. "My hair…" he muttered, staring at his reflection. "It's black…."

Seeing Ichigo's face, Unohana nodded. "Yes," she said as she combed his hair. "It seems that your physical appearance has taken on my characteristics. I know that it must be a bit of a shock, after having orange hair all your life."

Ichigo's eyes almost started to water at his changed appearance. He'd never exactly taken pride in his bizarre hair color, but to see it gone…"I've wondered for so long what it was like…to have normal hair…."

Unohana turned Ichigo around and wrapped him up in a warm hug. "It'll be alright, Ichigo," she said as she ran a hand through his hair in a comforting gesture. "We'll find a way to turn you back to normal. Just endure it for now as best you can. Until then…" she looked at Ichigo, his blue eyes looking at hers, "I'll protect you. You won't have to worry about Mayuri trying to kidnap you again. I've already seen to that. Until we can turn you back to normal, I'll never let you come to harm."

Ichigo felt his chest ache from the woman's words, feeling a warm sensation inside. Wrapping his tiny arms around her neck, Ichigo hugged her back. "Thank you. Um…" he broke the hug when a question hit him. "I…I'm not sure what to call you. I know you gave birth to me but…."

Smiling, Retsu kissed the boy's forehead. "You can call me whatever you like, Ichigo. If you want to call me your mother, that suits me. If not, I understand completely. It's like I told you, I would never try to take your real mother's place."

Ichigo nodded, glad that the woman understood. "Thank you…."

 _ **Later….  
**_ **Squad 4: SWA Meeting Room  
Ichigo & Unohana POV**

The SWA meeting was already underway by the time Ichigo was lead into the room. Whatever argument that Nanao and Rangiku had died when Retsu and Ichigo walked into the room. Just like before, all eyes turned to Ichigo, making him look at the floor embarrassed.

Silence pervaded the room for a minute while everyone processed Ichigo's new appearance. The general consensus was being thought in just about everyone's heads: _'Oh my goodness! He's so adorable! He's like a mini Unohana!'_

But the one who had stars in her eyes was Rukia. Thanks to the black hair, Ichigo looked exactly like her old mentor Kaien, only smaller. "Ichigo…you look so cute!" she couldn't help but say, making Ichigo blush even harder.

To Ichigo's dismay, there was only one chair left and there were two of them. So as Unohana pulled it out and sat down in it, his cheeks were aflame as Unohana lifted him up and sat him on her lap, earning many giggles from the SWA as they saw Ichigo's face. Rangiku smiled and decided to break the ice. "So, Ichigo, how are you feeling?"

"Better," the tiny Ichigo said. "I'm just glad I can move my arms and legs."

"I bet," the lieutenant said. "How are you feeling, Captain Unohana? Shouldn't you be resting?"

The woman shook her head. "I'm perfectly fine, Lieutenant Matsumoto. Besides, I can't fulfill my duties as captain if I'm stuck in bed."

The women, plus Ichigo, were interrupted when the door opened again and in walked Yachiru. "Hi everybody!" she said happily, waving as she walked over to the table.

Nanao pushed up her glasses, annoyed at Yachiru's tardiness. "Hello, Lieutenant Kusajishi. Nice of you to finally join us to-"

"Hi'ya Ichi!" Yachiru interrupted, walking over to Ichigo and Unohana. "Wow, you're really small now!" she said merrily, much to Ichigo's further embarrassment.

"Hi, Yachiru…" Ichigo meekly said, wishing he was someplace else rather than in Unohana's lap. The other's giggled again from Ichigo's shyness, Rukia almost swooning at the sight.

Yachiru turned toward the black-haired mother. "Captain Unohana, can Ichi and I go out and play?" Ichigo turned his head to Unohana and his eyes begged her to say no. That was a request which was thoroughly denied….

Smiling sweetly, Unohana nodded. "Why of course, Yachiru. Just make sure you bring him home by sundown." Lifting Ichigo up, she put him back on the ground. "Just keep in mind not to tire him out." It was weird for Ichigo to be at eye-level with Yachiru, especially since the last time they met she was no taller than his leg.

"Okay!"

The other's watched as Yachiru took hold of Ichigo's hand and led him out of the room. Rukia looked on, wishing that she had been shrunk down to pint-size so she could play with the Kaien look-alike….

 **Ichigo & Yachiru POV  
Seireitei**

Ichigo was feeling more embarrassed by the minute with each person they walked by. He felt like his face was going to melt from the heat of the blood rushing towards it. Yachiru had refused to let go of his hand, telling him that she had to make sure he could keep up with her. Just about every person they passed by giggled and made some comment about the two children.

"Aww! Are you out on a playdate?"

"You two look so cute together!"

"Is that your boyfriend, Lieutenant Kusajishi?"

"Aww! Look at you two lovebirds!"

' _Can I please go back inside Retsu? Being trapped inside her womb suddenly doesn't seem so bad….'_

Ichigo only noticed that there was nobody around when Yachiru stopped outside a fancy-looking mansion. "Um…Yachiru? Where are we?"

"The Kuchiki Manor," Yachiru said, walking over to a nearby tree.

"Kuchiki?" Ichigo looked at the place, his thoughts jumbled. "So this is Rukia's home?"

"Yep! This is Ruki's and Byakuya's home! Let's head inside!"

Ichigo was confused when he saw Yachiru move a fake bush, revealing a small hole in the ground. "Um…Yachiru? The entrance is that way…" he said, pointing to the gate on the left.

"Nope! We'll go through here! I made these tunnels so I can sneak into Byakuya's place whenever I want!"

Ichigo watched as Yachiru disappeared down the hole and looked around, wondering what he should do. Against his better judgement, he followed Yachiru down the rabbit hole and into the tunnels.

For once, Ichigo was thankful for his tiny size. He couldn't fit in the small tunnel if he was in his normal body. Ichigo soon caught up with Yachiru and followed her through the surprisingly vast network of tunnels. "Wow, Yachiru!" he marveled. "You made all of this by yourself?"

"Yep!" Yachiru said as she continued to crawl through the tiny tunnel ahead of Ichigo. "Hold on, Ichi! We're almost there!"

Ichigo was about to ask where "there" was when he saw Yachiru climb up a small ladder heading up. Following her, Ichigo watched as she moved the lid covering the tunnel and headed out of the tunnel. Climbing the ladder, Ichigo stuck his head out of the hole and looked around. He saw that he was in a fancy bedroom. A nice futon rested on the floor while the walls were covered with fancy calligraphy paintings. "Wow, whose bedroom is this?" Ichigo asked, climbing out of the hole in the floor Yachiru made.

Yachiru covered up the hole with a tatami mat before walking around. "Byakuya's."

"What?!" Ichigo stared at the pinkette. "Why are we in Byakuya's room?"

"Shhh!" Yachiru put a finger to her lips. "We don't want to get caught!"

Gulping, Ichigo nodded and proceeded to walk around. The room had several valuable looking objects. But they were kept on tall shelfs and desks which suddenly became an impediment to the tiny Ichigo. "Um…what are we doing here?" Ichigo asked Yachiru, who was busy rummaging through Byakuya's closet.

"Looking for candy!"

"Candy?! Why would Byakuya-"

Ichigo was interrupted by a voice outside the room. A _very_ familiar voice. "What was that sound? Who's in my room?"

"Oh crap!" Ichigo muttered, backing away from the door. However, because his eyes were so fixed on the door he wasn't paying attention to his back, which bumped against a desk. Looking up, Ichigo had enough time to see an old flowerpot fall from the wooden furniture.

 _CRASH!_

Both Ichigo and Yachiru stared at the broken pot before hearing the door open. Knowing who was coming, Yachiru dashed out the open window like lightning, leaving Ichigo inside to face Byakuya, who was surprised to see a small black-haired boy in his room standing next to the remains of a shattered flowerpot.

It took a moment for Byakuya to understand the situation, remembering just who this boy was. "Ichigo…" he said in a very ticked-off tone. "What is the meaning of this?"

Ichigo suddenly felt even smaller than he was right now. He had found Byakuya's gaze to be quite intimidating back when he was a teen but now…suddenly it felt even more menacing. "I…Yachiru…we…" he stammered, suddenly tongue-tied. "Yachiru and I were just walking around and…."

Byakuya continued to glare at the child like an angry father. "Ichigo. I know that you were born yesterday, but you are quite old enough to know not to let Lieutenant Kusajishi get the better of your judgement," he scolded, walking over to the child. Because Ichigo was looking at the floor, face full of shame, he did not catch the shadow of a smile on the man's lips.

The flowerpot Ichigo broke wasn't of much value to Byakuya, with little monetary or sentimental worth. It was just a flowerpot that one of his servants made for him years ago and he just used it whenever. What irked Byakuya was the fact that the boy had snuck into his own room in his own home and for that…well….

…Spare the rod, spoil the child….

"Ichigo, you realize of course that you've done a very bad thing. Since your mother isn't here, I'll have to administer your punishment for breaking and entering my room myself…."

Ichigo's head snapped forward. "Punishment?!"

He saw Byakuya remove one of his wrist-guards and gulped….

 _ **Sixty Seconds Later….  
**_ **Outside Byakuya's Room  
Rukia POV**

"I wonder how Ichigo's doing?" Rukia noted while walking to her brother's room. "I wonder if I should've gone with him and Yachiru…."

"YOW! OW! OW! OWOWOWOWOWOW!" cried a voice from Byakuya's room. Rukia rushed over to the door but before she could get close to it the door opened and out walked…Ichigo? "Ichigo? What are you doing here in Byakuya's room?"

The girl's brother came out after him, pointing down the hall. "Now if you'll please, Ichigo, leave. And be sure not to get into any more trouble!" Byakuya scolded.

His hands on his bottom, Ichigo walked right past Rukia. "I'm not crying…I'm not crying…I'm not crying…" he muttered, obviously crying a stream from each blue eye. Ignoring his friend, Ichigo quickly left the mansion, not stopping until he stopped feeling the agonizing burn from his punishment….

Rukia simply stood there in the hallway, feeling like she was in some sort of twilight zone. "Um…what just happened?"

Byakuya walked up next to her, putting his wrist-guard back on. "It would seem that your friend let himself be easily led into trouble thanks to Lieutenant Kusajishi. I was teaching him the error of his ways through corporal punishment."

Rukia looked up at her brother. "Brother…did you spank Ichigo?"

The man didn't answer, but Rukia could've sworn as he walked away that he was smirking….

 **Ichigo POV**

As Ichigo lay down next to a shady tree he finally let himself cry fully, letting out the rush of tears he'd been trying to hold back. "Stupid Yachiru! Why'd she go and leave me like that? And why did Byakuya spank me? I'M FIFTHTEEN DAMMIT!"

"Hi'ya, Ichi!" greeted Yachiru, sneaking up behind him.

"Yachiru!" Ichigo yelled, wincing from the pain in his behind. "You just left me there!"

"Oh…" Yachiru could tell that Ichigo was in a lot of pain and sat down next to him. "I'm sorry, Ichi… I thought you were right behind me when I jumped out the window."

Ichigo was about to retort when he suddenly felt dizzy again. Exhaustion poured over him and he lay back against the hard bark of the tree. "I'm tired…."

His playmate looked over and saw Ichigo's eyes droop. "You ok, Ichi? Do you need me take you back to your mom?" But all she got was a hard "Zzzzzzzz…Zzzzzzz…Zzzzzzz" from Ichigo as he fell asleep underneath the shady tree. Shrugging her shoulders, Yachiru lay down next to him, her head right next to his, and decided to take a quick nap next to Ichigo. She figured she'd wake him up later and take him back to Unohana….

 **Rangiku POV**

"Dammit, Captain Hitsugaya!" Rangiku pouted as she walked down the street. "Why'd you have to go and throw away my whole sake stash?" she groaned in frustration. But her ranting was cut short when she walked by a large tree. Stopping dead in her tracks, Rangiku's mood lifted when she saw who was sleeping underneath it. "OH. MY. GOODNESS!" she squealed as she saw Ichigo and Yachiru sleeping underneath the tree, Yachiru's head on Ichigo's shoulder. "How adorable! They're such a cute couple!"

Grabbing her camera that she always had prepared from her pocket, Rangiku snapped as many photos of the two as she could. "Oh, this is going to make such a nice photo album for the magazine! I can't wait to show everyone!" And with that, she left the two children sleeping under the tree, oblivious to the lieutenant's plans….

To Be Continued….

 **A.N.: If you're wondering, the reason this is still rated M is because I'm still on the fence on whether or not to include a lemon.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 **Warning: Lime!**

 _ **Later that night….  
**_ **Ichigo's Room  
Ichigo POV**

Ichigo hid under the covers as lightning cracked the sky outside, heavy rain pelting the window. He'd been given this small room, furnished with a small cozy bed, by Retsu and Isane but he was having a hard first night of getting to sleep. "I'm not scared…I'm not scared…I'm fifteen…I'm not some scared baby anymore…" Even as he said that he yelped when another crack of lightning boomed overhead, making him cringe in fear.

Back when he small the first time, Ichigo had been crippled with a fear of thunderstorms. During nights like this he'd run into his parent's room and cuddle with them, his mother softly lulling him to sleep. It was a fear he'd gotten over as time went by, but now that he was back to being a child again his old fear had been resurrected.

Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut as the rain pelted against the roof and window as if it was trying its damnest to get in. "I'm not scared…I'm not scared…I'm not scared…."

 _BOOM!_

The black-haired boy was out the door before the thunder had died down….

 **Unohana POV**

Unohana lay in bed and listened to the rain, her back pressed up against the wall. She had felt a little worried for Ichigo, sending him out with Yachiru but was relieved to see him alright when she brought him back, the small child tired and exhausted. She was pretty sure something had happened while he was gone judging from how he refused to sit down but she could wait until Ichigo decided to tell her. She didn't want to pry.

' _Still…it's not how I expected, being a mother…'_ she thought as she looked out at the rain. ' _Is this right? I swore to protect Ichigo but…'_ she looked down at her hands and frowned. ' _I have no idea how to make him happy. A mother's duty, first and foremost, is to make sure their child is happy and feels wanted. I don't know how to do that.'_

Her inner turmoil was interrupted when she heard her door quickly open and close. She couldn't see thanks to the darkness of the room but she felt the bed dip and a large lump arise from under the covers. She was a little perplexed as the lump moved closer to her, only to realize who it was when a pair of blue eyes looked at her, followed by a tiny voice. "Um…Retsu? M-May I…st-stay with you for tonight?" asked a petrified Ichigo.

Retsu looked down at her son before realizing just how terrified he was. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, his head cushioned by her bosom. "Of course, Ichigo. You can stay for as long as you want." She noticed that with the next lightning strike that he cringed as if he was expecting to get struck down from above. "Is it the thunder and lightning that's scaring you?"

"Uh huh…" muttered the frightened boy. "When I was five I had a big fear of thunderstorms. I got over it when I got over but… I don't know why but now that I'm a kid again…I feel so scared now whenever I hear thunder boom," Ichigo said, a little ashamed at the fact that he was admitting his fear. Another bolt of lightning streaked across the black sky and he squeaked in fear. "Eek!" he buried his face in Retsu's chest, hoping that the rising tide of fear would go down.

Retsu gently patted Ichigo's head while pulling him into her lap, the boy resting on her chest. She'd been warned that something like this would happen by Yoruichi. Due to his accelerated growth and possibly due to the nature of the failed kido spell that recreated his body, several childish habits would reemerge from Ichigo's psyche even though he had a teenager's mind. Retsu didn't mind Ichigo's intrusion all that much. She ran her hand through his black hair in a soothing gesture and held him tight. Remembering when Isane had trouble getting to sleep, Retsu tried a familiar tactic.

Ichigo's shaking soon stopped as Retsu hummed a lullaby. Closing his eyes, he soon found himself no longer afraid as he held onto her, remembering how his mother Masaki made him feel the exact same way. The lullaby was so soothing to Ichigo that in a matter of minutes he'd fallen asleep, wrapped up in his new mother's embrace. "Zzzzz…zzzzz…zzzzz…."

Smiling at her sleeping son, Retsu laid him down next to her and pulled the covers over him. Laying down next to him, Retsu soon fell asleep, not letting go of her son's hand for an instant….

 _ **The next morning….  
**_ **Unohana POV**

"Mmmmh…" Unohana sighed as daylight disturbed her sleep. She felt good. She looked over to look at Ichigo but saw him no longer beside her. But her musings on Ichigo's whereabouts ended immediately when she looked down at herself. "Ichigo! What are you doing?!"

Ichigo was on top of her, his head buried in her chest. Retsu groaned as Ichigo drank her breastmilk from her swollen breasts. Seeing his eyes close and the slow and steady pace of his drinking made Retsu realize that Ichigo wasn't even awake! ' _He's feeding off of me subconsciously? Well he is technically an infant in terms of age now so it'd make sense of…ohhh…that feels kind of good….'_ Part of her wanted to gently pull Ichigo off of her and get him to stop but…she couldn't deny how good it felt being milked.

'… _Maybe a couple more minutes…."_

 _ **30 minutes Later….  
**_ **Unohana POV**

After getting Ichigo off of her and gently waking him up, Unohana carried her son into the bathroom. Ichigo didn't know why but even though he hadn't really eaten anything in the past day except for the small dinner Retsu prepared he felt strangely full….

Opening a tired eye, Ichigo was put down on the sink and let the woman strip him. He wasn't really all that ashamed to be naked in front of him; she was his mother now, after all and he hadn't really recovered much of his strength yet. He sat there and watched as Retsu put hot water into the large bathtub but noticed her shrugging out of her nightclothes. "Um…Retsu?" he asked confused. "What are you doing?"

"I need to bathe too, Ichigo," Retsu said matter-of-factly before taking off her underwear. Ichigo looked down at the floor and fought the urge to facepalm. He'd forgotten that the Soul Society's style of living was that of feudal Japan and that back in those days it was perfectly acceptable for a mother and child to bathe together.

Retsu saw the embarrassed look on his face and smiled sweetly before picking him up and carrying him into the tub. "Don't be embarrassed, Ichigo. Or am I too unattractive for even my own son to look at?" she teased.

"N-no…" Ichigo said still looking down and making sure that he wasn't looking at Retsu' boobs. "It's just that…it's sort of embarrassing for me to…." He was interrupted by his mother's chuckle.

"It's alright. I understand that they have different standards of living in the World of the Living." Both mother and son sank into the tub, Ichigo resting on Retsu's lap as she grabbed a sponge, washing his back. "Just try to bear with it for now."

"…Ok…"

Ichigo remained seated in Retsu's lap as she continued to bathe him, trying really hard not to enjoy the occasional feel of her breasts pressing against his back. A battle he ended up losing when she finished scrubbing him and turned her attention to his hair. Sher began rubbing shampoo into his black locks with her nimble fingers. Ichigo groaned from the feel of her fingers rubbing into his scalp. ' _Wow…that feels soooo good….'_ Ichigo sat there in the tub and let Retsu continue on, unable to keep himself from feeling a strange sense of calm from her presence….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **World of the Living: Urahara Shop  
Kisuke POV**

Kisuke was examining small vials filled with Ichigo's blood, taken from samples thanks to Yoruichi while the boy recovered from his ordeal. "Hmmm…such a difficult puzzle to solve. Aizen, I'm starting to get the impression that you did this deliberately…."

"KISUKE!"

The scientist didn't even budge when he heard the shops front door being kicked down. Behind him he heard the door to his room getting kicked down and he heard a gruff voice behind him. "Enough of your beating around the bush, Kisuke! I'll hear no more of it!"

"The door was unlocked, you know…."

He was spun around in his chair to look at the angry face of Ichigo's father, Isshin Kurosaki. "It's been weeks since Ichigo left to rescue Rukia and all you've given me is vague hints and ominous bullshit!" Isshin got right into Kisuke's face and narrowed his eyes. "Enough of your pussyfooting! Where's Ichigo? Is he alive? Is he ok? ANSWER ME!" he roared.

Kisuke was quiet, but only for a moment. Flipping his fan, he looked at Isshin with a sad eye.

"…Define ok…."

To Be Continued


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **The Next Day….  
**_ **Soul Society  
Ichigo & Unohana POV**

"Wow!" Ichigo breathed as he saw the whole Soul Society move beneath him, the wind whirling around him. "This is so cool!" he said with childlike admiration.

"Ichigo," Retsu warned, "Don't get to close to the edge. I don't want you falling off."

"Oh…ok." Ichigo scooted backwards and sat down next to Retsu as they flew on the back of Retsu's zanpakuto, Minazuki. Smiling, Ichigo enjoyed the feel of flying on the back of the huge green manta-like creature. Feeling that Ichigo hadn't really gotten to enjoy the Soul Society since he was trying to rescue Rukia, Unohana decided to spend the day with Ichigo and show him the view from a more enjoyable stance. She had to admit, it'd been awhile since she'd flown on Minazuki for enjoyment. It was…nice, to spend such quality time with Ichigo. She saw the amazed look on his face and knew she was looking at a boy who'd let go of happiness years ago. Seeing Ichigo smile made her smile.

"This is amazing!" Ichigo said as Minazuki flapped its wings, rising higher into the sky. "This is your zanpakuto? Incredible!"

"Yes, Minazuki is quite special. It's the right thing for days like this…"

Suddenly Minazuki was forced to dip a little to avoid some birds. Fearing for Ichigo, Retsu grabbed the boy and held onto him. "Whoa!" Ichigo turned and wrapped his arms around her neck, holding onto her.

"Sorry about that. Minazuki has a tendency to give birds the right-of-way," she said chuckling. She sat Ichigo back down on her lap and the two continued to sit atop the flying creature, taking in the beauty of the day.

"This is so cool…" he said, his leaning back into Retsu's embrace. "About the only thing that could ruin this would be an explosion…."

 _BOOM!_

Mother and son looked to see a large explosion over by the Senkaimon. Ichigo facepalmed and shook his head. "Me and my big dumb mouth…." He looked up and saw the shocked look on Retsu's face. "Retsu? What's wrong?"

"That spiritual pressure…Captain Shiba? He's alive?!"

"Shiba?" asked a confused Ichigo. "Who's he? Is he related to Ganju and Kukaku?"

"He was the previous captain of squad ten before Captain Hitsugaya. He vanished mysteriously years ago. We never learned what happened to him…." She touched Minazuki and the manta-ray turned towards the site of the explosion. "Hang on, Ichigo. We're going to see what's going on." She was a little hesitant to bring the child along but figured that Ichigo was safest with her.

 _ **Meanwhile….**_

The explosion had drawn everybody's attention, already Kyoraku and Kuchiki had arrived with their lieutenants. They were quickly joined by everyone else and they watched as a figure emerged from the cloud of dust. A figure which was revealed to be Hitsugaya's and Matsumoto's former superior: Isshin Shiba. "Sorry for the flashy entrance, everybody!" Isshin said smiling. "Had to outrun that damned Cleaner and things got a little messy."

Toshiro sweatdropped. "Same old Captain Shiba…." He was relieved that the man who'd treated him like a son was alive. "Is that really you, Captain Shib-ahhhhhh! What are you doing?!" Toshiro demanded as Isshin lifted him up.

"Look at you, Toshiro! You're a captain already? I'm so proud of you!" Isshin said happily.

"Yep, that's definitely Captain Shiba…" Rangiku muttered, shaking her head.

The happy reunion was interrupted by the Head-Captain. "Captain Shiba! Where have you been all this time? And why did you vanish out of nowhere? It's time for some answers!" he said, a little angry.

But his anger was nowhere near that of Isshin's as he set Toshiro down. Everybody took a step back as Isshin glared at the other captains. "I'm here for my son! WHERE IS HE?!" he suddenly roared.

Byakuya blinked. "You have a son? And he's a soul reaper? How-" he was interrupted when Isshin grabbed him by his scarf and yanked him forward, the man glaring into his eyes.

"Yes! I'm a father. And I believe it was you who almost killed him, you elitist son of a bitch!"

Before Byakuya could ask the obvious they were all interrupted when Minazuki swooped down and landed behind everyone. Isshin looked up to see Captain Unohana riding it. "Captain Shiba! Is that really you?" called out Unohana.

"Yeah it's…" he stopped dead when he saw the boy in her lap. Ichigo was equally shocked to see his father standing there. "I…Ichigo?" he gasped.

"Dad?"

"DAD?!" shouted almost everybody simultaneously.

"WHAT?" gasped Unohana.

"HE'S ICHIGO'S FATHER?!" shouted Toshiro.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" shouted an equally confused Rangiku.

 _ **One hour and a WHOLE LOT of explanations later….  
**_ **Squad one**

' _This is incredibly awkward…'_ Ichigo thought as he sat between Isshin and Unohana. The three were surrounded by everyone, the Soul Reapers surrounding them in a circle of chairs. Isshin explained everything from the start, not leaving out a single detail; Masaki saving him from the monstrous hollow, Isshin saving Masaki from hollowfying and the loss of his powers, etc. Equally, Retsu explained everything that had happened to Ichigo, starting from when he first exploded into the Seireitei to her giving birth to him and everything in between. Ichigo and Isshin both shocked at the revelations, Ichigo especially. He thought his head might explode from everything dumped onto him.

Ichigo looked up at his father who put his hand on his son's shoulder, smiling warmly down at him. "I see…" he said once Retsu's story finished. "Ichigo…"

"Dad?"

The black-haired boy was taken by surprise when Isshin lifted him into the air. "You look like a real Shiba now! You're the spitting image of me! I'm so happy!"

Ichigo and the others sweatdropped…. ' _He always did know how make any serious situation silly….'_

Rangiku looked at her captain. "Hey Captain Hitsugaya. If Ichigo is Captain Shiba's son, does that kinda make you two brothers since he treated you like a son?"

"Rangiku…don't make up such ridiculous claims…" said Toshiro, blushing at the notion.

"So it's settled then," Isshin said, setting Ichigo back down on his chair. "I'm taking Ichigo home with me."

Uryu, who was sitting in the circle with everybody else, pushed his glasses up and frowned. "Are you sure that's wise, Mr. Kurosaki?" he asked, concerned for his friend. "Wouldn't he be in more danger there with the upcoming fight against Aizen?"

"It won't be for long," Isshin said. He turned to Unohana and smiled. "I can tell that Captain Unohana has been taking good care of him. I just want Ichigo to get acclimated to the human world again and I know he wants to see his sisters."

"Yeah," Ichigo said, taking his dad's hand. "I really want to see Yuzu and Karin again."

"Does that mean you plan on telling them the same story you told us?" Chad asked.

Isshin was quiet for a moment before finally nodding. "Might as well. They already see ghosts and I've had to keep them protected from any hollows that came snooping around. Figured now's a good time as any…."

Unohana stood up, taking hold of Ichigo's other hand. "Then I'm coming with you. I promised Ichigo I'd keep him safe while he's like this. I'm not about to let him out of my sight." Isshin was a bit startled by the declaration but could tell from the look in her eyes that Unohana was serious.

"Very well then. I'll have Yuzu fix up the guest room for a few days."

"Excellent. C'mon, Ichigo, we need to get your things packed…."

Everyone watched as the trio left the building, not even giving the others so much a thought. "He's as boneheaded as ever," Soi-Fon noted. "And I can see how Ichigo is related. Who else but Isshin's child would have the balls to invade the Soul Society?"

All of the captains and lieutenants nodded….

 _ **Much later that day….  
**_ **World of the Living: Kurosaki residence  
Ichigo POV**

Ichigo looked around, noting how the streets on his block hadn't changed. "It's so weird," he muttered. "I've spent almost a month in the Soul Society. To be home finally…."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up, seeing Retsu smiling down at him. "It is a bit of an adjustment. But the fact of the matter is that you're home, Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled. "Yeah. I'm home."

Ichigo was in a tiny gigai that Kisuke had developed. When Ichigo and his friends pointed out that he could just use his human body that Kon resided in, the explanation that they were relayed through Yoruichi was that because of the change in Ichigo's Konpaku, there was the possibility that putting him back inside his human body could do damage. It was better to not tempt fate, not when they were no closer to returning Ichigo to normal.

Isshin opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Ichigo and Unohana. "Yuzu! Karin!" Isshin called out. "You need to get down here! There's someone I want you to meet and we've got some things to discuss…."

Ichigo watched and his face lit up with joy when he saw his sisters come down the stairs. Yuzu made it to the living room first and looked at her father. "What is it…Dad…" she was unable to finish as she stared at both Ichigo and Unohana. "Dad…what is this?" she said.

Isshin could tell that something was wrong by the way that Yuzu started to cry. "Yuzu, I-"

"Dad! How could you?!" In a very Isshin-like manner, Yuzu ran up to the poster of Masaki and wailed. "Wahhhhh! Mom! Dad had an affair behind your back! And he had a kid who looks just like Ichigo!" she sobbed. Karin entered the room and just stared incredulously at the pair, her mouth hanging open as she came to the same conclusion as her twin.

Ichigo knew that this long day just got a whole lot longer….

 _ **An hour later and even MORE explanations later….**_

Yuzu and Karin just sat there on the couch, Ichigo sitting in between them, staring at their father as he spilled the beans, telling them the same story he told Ichigo and Unohana. Karin turned to her new younger brother. "Is that true? Are you really Ichigo?"

"Uh huh."

Karin took hold of Ichigo's hand and squeezed, letting him know that she loved him no matter how old he was. He turned to Yuzu and saw that she had stars in her eyes. "Oh this is adorable!" Yuzu said happily as she wrapped Ichigo into a big hug. "Our big brother's now our cute little brother!" She continued to hug her brother, who had learned to just take it after Isshin's reaction earlier.

Karin turned towards Unohana and was a little bit apprehensive of the Soul Reaper. "So…if you're Ichigo's mom now…does that mean you're OUR mom too?"

Unohana looked at the girl and thought about it. ' _She brings up a good point. Exactly what am I to his family?'_ Finally, she gave Karin her answer. "I promised Ichigo that I would watch over him until we put him back to normal. Until then…" she gave the twins a sweet smile, making them blush from her beautiful face. "I wouldn't mind considering you two my children as well."

"I don't mind!" Yuzu exclaimed, still hugging Ichigo. "It's like we're a big happy family again."

Karin looked at the clock. "It's getting late. I think we should all go to bed."

Ichigo merely shrugged and continued to hug his sister back, glad that the day was finally over.

To be continued


	10. Chapter 10

**A.N.: I decided after much consideration to redo this chapter. After rereading the story I realized that I might've crossed the line for the sake of shock value and after hearing the general consensus decided to change it to make it where I'm not in need of a dire brain-bleach after reading it. If you're okay with the previous version, leave a message in the review and when I finish the story I will include it as a bonus.**

A week later….

 **Seireitei**

Ichigo walked down the streets of the Seireitei, his hand in Unohana's as they walked back to their Squad. It had been a long week for Ichigo, having to deal with his sister's newfound adoration of his adorable new form and also his conflicted emotions.

Previously….

Karakura Town

Ichigo walked with his father and new mother, his hand in hers as they walked down the street. Yuzu and Karin had left to get some ingredients for a cake Yuzu wanted to bake for Ichigo, leaving him alone with his parents.

It was still…awkward to call Unohana his mother, even after all they'd done together. While he was in the Seireitei, he had been constantly by her side when he wasn't playing with Yachiru or hanging with Rukia. Her presence was soothing and for just a little while he felt at peace despite being pint-sized.

But that changed now that he was back home now. Every time he walked by the poster of Masaki he felt a sense of guilt, as if he was betraying his mother's memory by accepting Unohana into his life.

Even weirder was the relationship between his two parents. Unohana and Isshin acted like they were already married, which was equally awkward for all three Kurosaki siblings. To see them in the dining room conversing away like a married couple left Ichigo feeling even more conflicted. However, he knew for a fact that their relationship was professional because when Isshin joked about how they should make Ichigo a black haired brother or sister who shared both their DNA like him, she narrowed her eyes, smiled and said "I don't think so…" in her scary tone, making Isshin give up any ideas of courting the woman.

The three walked down the street until they came across a trio of familiar faces. "Hey, Mr. Kurosaki!" Keigo waved as he, Tatsuki and Mizuro walked over to them. "Who's the lovely lady?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Unohana.

"This is my sister," Isshin replied quickly, remembering the lie the he and Unohana had come up with to explain her presence. "And this is her son, Kaien."

Tatsuki knelt down and smiled. This little boy looked so much like Ichigo the resemblance was uncanny. "Hello there, Kaien. So you're Ichigo's cousin, huh?"

Ichigo blushed. 'Why's she staring at me like that?' "Uh huh," he said in a small voice, still not used to being treated like an adorable teddy bear. "So…you're Tatsuki?"

"Yes," she held up her hand, which Ichigo shook. "Nice to meet you, Kaien."

"Wow, he really does look like Ichigo!" Keigo said. He turned to Unohana and his eyes lit up. "So…it's Ms. Kurosaki, right?" he asked hopeful. Mizuro scowled at him for stealing his thunder.

"Why yes, I'm not married," she said as she squeezed Ichigo's hand. "But I've more important things to focus on rather than young men who should know better," she said, her eyes giving off a knowing glare at Keigo. Tatsuki smiled as the woman put Keigo in his place, liking her already. "If you'll excuse us, Kaien has a doctor's appointment." And with that she and Ichigo started to walk, Isshin following behind them. "You've nice friends," Unohana said.

Ichigo smiled. "Yeah, but they…can be a handful sometimes."

The three walked into Urahara Shop where they were greeted by Kisuke and Yoruichi. "Well hello there, Ichigo!" Kisuke greeted. "My, you've certainly changed since the last time I saw you. I'm pretty sure we can weaponize you into a weapon of mass cuteness!"

Ichigo deadpanned. "That's creepy coming from you…."

The rest of the day consisted of Kisuke examining him in order to figure out if there was a way to restore Ichigo to normal. After a wide array of tests, Kisuke sent the three on their way, promising to let them know as soon as he made a breakthrough. Afterwards Retsu received word that she was needed back in the Soul Society so that they can prepare for the upcoming fight against Aizen so Ichigo packed his things and headed back to the Seireitei, though not before having a tearful farewell from Yuzu.

Hugging her brother tightly, Yuzu kissed his forehead. "Be good, little brother," she said, loving how she could actually call Ichigo her little brother. "I promise when you come back we'll have a big feast!" Yuzu wouldn't stop hugging Ichigo until Unohana had to practically pry him away, walking through the Senkaimon with her.

Back to the present….

Ichigo continued to walk with Unohana until they ran into his new best friend, Yachiru. Or at least, Ichigo was her best friend….

"Hi'ya, Ichi!" Yachiru hugged her friend after not having seen him in a week. "I've missed you!" Looking up at Unohana, Yachiru smiled. "Captain Unohana, can Ichi and I have a sleepover? Please?" she asked with puppy dog eyes. She absolutely loved having Ichigo as a friend, as she hardly had anyone to play with.

Unohana smiled warmly at Yachiru before taking Ichigo's bag. "Why, of course you can. Have fun, you two!" she said as Yachiru took Ichigo by the hand and darted off, dragging the child with her.

' _Why do I get the feeling my life is spiraling out of my hands?_ '

 _ **Later that night….  
**_ **Squad 11**

Ichigo and Yachiru snickered as they snuck into Ikkaku's room. Ichigo found that he liked pulling pranks with Yachiru, provided they didn't get caught and punished. The Third-Seat was sleeping in his bed, snoring filling the room as he slept off the bottles of sake he'd been drinking with Yumichika at the squad party that night.

Tiptoeing to Ikkaku's bed, Yachiru gestured for the items she gave Ichigo to hold while they were sneaking into the barracks, avoiding the drunken guardsmen while they partied. "Hand me the glue…" Yachiru whispered. Giggling, the tiny Ichigo handed the pinkette a bottle of superglue. Hovering over Ikkaku like a wraith, Yachiru went to work. Once finished, she gestured for her partner in crime to hand the other item.

"Now the wig…."

Once their mischief was finished, the two pranksters walked out of the man's rooms and headed for the room of the squad's fifth-seat, Yumichika….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Squad 4; Unohana's Room**

Byakuya and Kyoraku looked at the new mother as her cheeks turned pink. "Are you alright, Captain Unohana?" Kyoraku asked, looking at the woman peculiarly while sipping from his sake cup.

Unohana had to put a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggle that erupted from her. "I apologize. My mind is still connected strongly to Ichigo's. Whenever he's feeling an emotion strongly, I get feedback," she explained.

Byakuya frowned. "You should be careful. If he's happy around Lieutenant Kusajishi, it means that he's up to no good." When Unohana looked at him confused, the man elaborated. "Your son has a tendency to go places he doesn't belong…"

For the next few minutes, Unohana listened to Byakuya as he explained what Ichigo had done when Yachiru led him into the manor. "I see…" she replied. As much as she didn't want to believe him, she was reminded by Yachiru's mischevious nature and how Ichigo refused to sit down when he came home that day. "One second, captains."

Closing her eyes, she focused on the shared link between her and Ichigo and suddenly she could see through his eyes. To her the sensation was like putting on a heavy mask and the image was hazy but after focusing the woman's vision became clear. She saw the bizarre image of Yumichika in front of her, his sleeping face being scribbled on with two permenant markers. She heard the echo of snickering and frowned.

Breaking the connection, Unohana sighed. "It would seem that you're right, Captain Kuchiki. It seems that Ichigo is getting into all kinds of mischief with Yachiru. I'll have to have a word with him when he comes back tomorrorw."

Sipping another cup of sake, Kyoraku cocked his head. "Shouldn't you go stop him right now if he's getting into trouble?" he asked.

Ichigo's giddiness rubbed off on Unohana. "Let him have his fun. It's not often you get to be a child twice…" she said, finding small amusement in Yumichika's plight.

 _ **The Next Morning….  
**_ **Yachiru's Room**

"Zzzzz…."

The two children slept in Yachiru's bed as the sun came up. Ichigo would've preferred to sleep on the floor or in a sleeping bag but a part of him liked being close to Yachiru. It reminded him of being with his sisters and that feeling made him happy.

…If only she'd stop being so clingy….

"Mmhhh…" she mumbled as she cuddled with Ichigo, her face pressing into his neck. To Yachiru, Ichigo was the best teddy bear. So small and yet so warm….

Waking up, Ichigo yawned and looked around. He had to admit, he knew that Yachiru was into cute things, reminding him of Yuzu, but if one word could describe her room, it'd be pink. The room was painted pink and was littered with stuffed animals and soft pink cushions.

Deciding that he needed to get back to Squad Four before Unohana grew worried. He climbed out of bed and put his _Tabi_ and sandals on. "Bye, Yachiru. I'm gonna head back to Squad Four."

Yachiru grumbled as she sat up, her hair looking like she'd touched a Tesla coil. "Okay, Ichi. I'll see you later…" she yawned before laying back down, deciding to sleep in for another hour. Ichigo pulled the covers over Yachiru and put a pink bear in his place, Yachiru snuggling with it while she fell back asleep. As quietly as he could, the little boy crept out of her room and closed the door. Walking down the hallway, he almost jumped when he heard two shrieks coming from the third and fifth-seat's room.

Ikkaku burst out of his room, mad as hell. Ichigo almost died laughing when he saw the blonde wig on his head that they'd superglued to his head. "WHAT THE HELL?! WHY AM I WEARING A WIG?!" he shouted in anger.

"Oh shut it, Ikkaku!" Yumichika countered, storming out of his room. "At least you look presentable. LOOK AT THIS!" He pointed to the graffiti on his face. His eyebrows were connected thanks to Ichigo and Yachiru's markers, giving him a unibrow. He was now sporting a pencil-thin mustache and a goatee. "I LOOK RIDICULOUS! AND THIS IS PERMENANT MARKER TOO!"

Ichigo quickly turned around and dashed down the hallway, trying really hard not to laugh while the two bickered about who had it worse….

 _ **Later….  
**_ **Ichigo's Room**

Ichigo opened the door to his room, wondering if Retsu was still here or if she'd left to go perform her duties. His answer came when he saw his mother sitting on his small bed, a frown painted on her face.

"Had fun, did we?"

Ichigo went pale. Her face was showing no friendliess and it made a chill run down his spine. "Um…hi, Retsu…."

The frown on her face made Ichigo's stomach drop. "So…did you have fun while playing with Yachiru last night?" she asked.

Gulping, Ichigo nodded. "Um…yeah, we played a whole bunch of…of games…."

When her eyes narrowed, Ichigo knew his goose was cooked. "Oh really? Did you have fun playing etch-a-sketch with Yumichika's face?" Ichigo gulped. Unohana must've sensed their fun and looked through his eyes with their connection.

"Um…well…I…" It'd been a while since Ichigo felt like this, being grilled by a mother. "We…I…no…." he lied, looking at the floor.

"Ichigo, even without seeing what I saw when I looked through our connection last night, you aren't a good liar." She stood up and walked over to the boy and glared at him sternly. "And this isn't the first time. Captain Kuchiki informed me last night of your little expedition into his room. I understand you're not actually a child, Ichigo but I believe you know that you're not supposed to go into somebody's verge uninvited, aren't you?" she asked in an angry tone. Her gaze bore into Ichigo as if she was trying to burn into his soul. "I believe you know what happens to disobedient children, don't you?" she asked.

Feeling shame, Ichigo was on the verge of tears, not knowing what to say. But as he stood there, wanting to die of shame, he felt something dark start to filter up within him, as if trying to shield him from Unohana's wrath. Before he realized it, he looked up and Unohana gasped when she saw that one of his eyes was turning black.

" _ **What's the matter, Mom? Jealous that we actually had fun?**_ " Ichigo's inner hollow taunted as he took over, knowing that Ichigo didn't have the spine to stand up to her. " _ **Doesn't matter what Ichigo did. Because I'm-**_ "

"I assume you're Ichigo's inner hollow?" Unohana asked with an eyebrow raised and her arms crossed. She knew of him from what Byakuya had told her and had been told by Kisuke that the hollow had a tendency to jump in when Ichigo was in danger _._ "Is that any way to speak to your mother?"

A mask forming on his face, Ogihci (Ichigo spelled backward) leered up at the woman. " _ **Bitch, please! I have no mom! You're just some bimbo who's cunt Ichigo got shoved up and-**_ " The hollowfied Ichigo was interrupted when Unohana grabbed him by the back of his collar and hauled him up, carrying him over to the bed. " _ **Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing?!**_ " he demanded when Unohana bent him over her lap.

"You might be Ichigo's inner hollow, but you're still my son. And I do not take disrespect, even from you. I think it's time you got a lesson in respect… _._ "

" _ **What the hell do you-OW!**_ " The childish hollow screamed as Unohana spanked him. " _ **OWOWOWOWOWOW! STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!"**_ he pleaded, tears running down the inside of his mask. " _ **I'm SORRY! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!**_ " With the last smack to his bottom, the mask on Ichigo's face crumbled and his inner hollow retreated back into his mind, deciding that this was a fight he couldn't win.

Unohana was pleased when her son returned to normal. Sitting Ichigo up in her lap, Unohana looked at her son concerned. "Ichigo, are you alright?"

Sobbing from the pain in his lower half, Ichigo really wanted to die at that moment. First Byakuya, now Unohana. ' _Who's next to spank me for crying out loud!?'_ Wiping his tear-filled eyes, Ichigo hugged Unohana's neck. "I'm…I'm sorry…" he sobbed. "I didn't mean to…it just…it just happened…."

"Yachiru or the hollow?" Unohana asked as she hugged her son.

"…Yes…."

Smiling, Unohana picked Ichigo up and laid him on the bed, sitting beside him with his head resting in her bosom. "It's alright, Ichigo. I forgive you. But from now on, I think I'll be keeping an eye on you whenever you play with Yachiru from now on. Okay?"

"Uh huh…" Ichigo sobbed.

 **Ichigo's inner world**

" _ **OWWWWWW!**_ " Ogichi screamed as he returned to the inner world, back to his normal full size. " _ **That HURT!**_ " he cried as he rolled around on a building, his hands going to his sore ass. " _ **Fuck it! Ichigo, from now on, you're on your own!**_ "


	11. Chapter 11

**A.N.: I reedited this chapter as well to make it less "DAFUQ did I just read?" since again, I think that maybe I'm letting my whacky nature go over the line. Again, if you were okay with the original draft, leave a message and I'll put it up when I finish the story.** _ ****_

 _ **Several Weeks Later….  
**_ **Ichigo's bedroom**

The tiny Ichigo tossed and turned in his bed, gripping the sheets as he struggled with his inner demons; demons that would rear their head every night he fell asleep….

 _Ichigo walked down the dirt path, hand in hand with his mother, Masaki. He smiled warmly up on his mother, tears running down his face at seeing his mother again, even if it was just a dream. "Mom, where are we going?" he asked, concerned when he saw a fork in the road._

 _Masaki looked down at her son with a warm, happy smile. "Wherever you want to go, Ichigo." She squeezed his hand tightly as she spoke. "No matter which path you wish to go, I will be there with you, my son."_

 _"No you won't."_

 _Ichigo turned his head and saw to his shock Retsu standing next to him, holding his other hand. "Your time has passed, Masaki. He's my son from now on." She started to pull Ichigo to the path on the left. "Come, Ichigo."_

 _"NO!" Masaki yelled, pulling Ichigo to the path on the right. "Ichigo! I'm your mother, not her!"_

 _Suddenly Ichigo felt torn. This was Masaki, his mother, his sun. But here was also Retsu, who had been so kind, so cherishing, so loving. If Masaki was his sun then Retsu had become his moon. As his two mothers bickered and argued, tugging on Ichigo's arms, Ichigo's head turned from side to side, looking from one woman to the next, his eyes tearing up. "I…I…I…."_

 _"Ichigo!" Masaki yelled, a look of betrayal on her face. "I'm your real mother! Please!"_

 _"Ichigo," Retsu said, tugging on Ichigo's arm. "Please, don't let this ghost haunt you! Please!"_

 _Ichigo cried as they pulled harder, no longer sure which woman to go with. "Mom…Retsu…"_

 _"ICHIGO!"_

 _"ICHIGO!"_

 _The tugging was harder until Ichigo was lifted in the air, both mothers pulling at him like Ichigo was the rope in a Tug-of-War game. "Stop…"Ichigo pleaded, his heart tearing more than his body. "Stop!" But both mothers continued to pull._

 _"Ichigo! I'm your mother!"_

 _"No, Ichigo! I am!"_

 _"STOOOOOP!"_

"AHHH!" Ichigo screamed, waking up from his horrible nightmare. Realizing he was back in his room in the Soul Society and pint-sized, he curled into a ball and cried. The dream was now a nightly occurrence, returning every night for the past week. And every time he woke up he was so confused, so conflicted; his heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest.

On the one hand, he loved Masaki. That would never change, no matter what shape or form he was in. The memories of his kind, loving mother would stay with him until he was dust.

But on the other hand, there was Retsu; Retsu, who was just as kind and loving. She could be harsh, his sore bottom could attest to that, but there was a softness in her gaze that had the same shine as Masaki's. Through their mental link, Ichigo could feel waves of happiness emanating from her whenever they spent time together. It was such a pleasant feeling; like being bathed in soft moonlight. The more time he spent with her, the more Ichigo was coming to call Retsu his mother.

' _I'm so confused!'_ the little boy thought as he threw the covers over his head. ' _She gave birth to me and she said that she was okay with me not calling her my mother but…'_ his eyes squeezed shut as more tears began to stream down his cheeks. ' _Being with her is like being with my real mother! I feel like I'm betraying Mom! What do I do? What should I do?'_

Ichigo fell back asleep, the tears not stopping though, even in slumber….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Retsu's Room**

Ichigo was not the only person with conflicted feelings. Retsu was also battling her inner demons. As she lay in bed, her brow furrowed as her mind darkened….

 _Retsu walked along a tranquil garden, taking in the serene sight. Hearing splashing, she quickened her pace and saw little Ichigo splashing around in a pond, Yachiru giggling as she played with him and Orihime giggling as she watched at the edge of the pond. Smiling, she opened her mouth to call out to her son._

 _"He's not your son, so don't bother trying to be something you're not."_

 _Whirling around, Retsu was horrified when she saw that the person behind her was none other than herself; or rather…her former self: Yachiru Unohana. The woman, her hair sprawling down her front, had splotches of blood covering her Haori, the number eleven emblazoned on her back. "What do you mean, he's not my son?" Retsu demanded. "No matter how it happened, I carried him. I gave birth to him. And I've been taking care of him as best as I can. I'm his mother," she said defiantly._

 _Yachiru looked at Retsu amused. "You? A mother? That's rich." She tapped her head and smirked. "Tell me, what happens if Ichigo sees something in your head you don't want him to see? Like the trails of corpses you left in your wake?" She stepped to the side and Retsu was horrified to see that behind Yachiru were bodies littering the path. "I wonder if he'll think of you as his mother then."_

 _Crossing her arms, Retsu glared at Yachiru. "It doesn't matter. I told Ichigo of that freely when we were still of one body. And that's beside the point. I'm not you anymore."_

 _"Oh? Is that right?" Yachiru started to laugh. "Please. I'm always here," she pointed to Retsu's heart. "And I always will. You're as unfit to be a mother as a sword is. Maybe that's the real reason behind his little fun gallivanting with Yachiru? Maybe that dark mischievous part of him is growing into something darker?" she suggested. Turning around, Unohana was shocked to see Ichigo grinning evilly, his sword covered in blood.. "Maybe that dark part of you is bleeding through your little mind connection. It could be," Yachiru grinned an evil grin, "That I am starting to corrupt Ichigo from within. Which means that in turn YOU are corrupting your precious son." She could see that Retsu was rattled and continued to hit that nerve she'd exposed. "So the truth of the matter is this, Retsu: You're not a mother. You will never be fit to be a mother, no matter how much you delude yourself."_

 _"Shut up," Retsu mumbled under her breath, her eyes tearing up from her counterpart's words. "SHUT UP!"_

 _"Never."_

 _Drawing Minazuki, Retsu ran her younger self through. "SHUT UP! SHUT UUUUP!"_

Retsu awoke with a start, her body covered in cold sweat. Looking around, she saw she was in her bed, back at her squad. "Just a dream…" she muttered before getting out of bed. She entered her quarter's kitchen and heated up a tea kettle, quickly pouring herself a cup to steady her nerves. She was feeling unnerved by her dream, wondering if maybe her subconscious was trying to tell her something. "No," she said, shaking her head. "It's just my doubts and reservations. I…I know I can be a good mother."

It was then that she sensed Ichigo's distress, his turmoil evident even in sleep. Feeling vestiges of his confusion from their connection, Retsu frowned. She had an inkling about what was troubling Ichigo and knew she had to help Ichigo come to terms with their relationship before he was pulled apart from within. She closed her eyes and strengthened the connection between them, filling Ichigo's troubled mind with memories of their time together. Ichigo helping her cook, Retsu teaching him about flower arranging, her playing with Ichigo and Yachiru (keeping a very careful eye on them). Her method seemed to help, as that rising wave of anguish that she felt coming from Ichigo died down. "I'll try to talk to him tomorrow." She continued to sit there for another hour sipping tea before returning to bed.

 _ **The Next Day….  
**_ **Squad 4**

' _This is starting to become troublesome…'_ Unohana thought as she saw Ichigo disappear again. It was becoming evident that Ichigo was avoiding her. Every time she saw him he'd bolt in the opposite direction. He couldn't leave the Squad's perimeter, since Retsu had ordered him to stay so she could keep an eye on him, but he had become as foxy as Yachiru. ' _It's obvious he's feeling conflicted. But how do I approach him without seeming like I'm being overbearing?'_ That was the real challenge….

Ichigo walked down the hallways past the nurses with his head slumped. He thought about going outside but it was starting to get cold and he had no idea if Retsu had a coat his size. So lost in thought was he that he didn't even notice Renji's presence until he'd bumped into him. "Oh, hi…" Ichigo glumly said as he walked past the redhead. "Sorry, Renji."

A hand on his shoulder stopped him. "There you are, Ichigo. That reminds me, I've been meaning to have a talk with you…." When Ichigo looked up he was horrified to see Renji smiling. "You know, the other day I was walking by Squad Eleven's barracks when I saw you and Yachiru leave Ikkaku and Yumichika's rooms with glue and markers.." Renji grinned when he saw the chibi Ichigo's horrified expression. "So tell me, what were you two up to? I gotta say, Ikkaku and Yumichika are gonna be awful mad when I tell them about you two skulking about…" Renji teased. "Maybe I should go and tell them right now…."

Ichigo suddenly became hot under the collar. He knew that if they'd found out what he and Yachiru had done, there'd be nowhere to hide. And Renji was an idiot; even if he convinced him not to say anything today he couldn't keep his mouth shut forever.

Luckily, Ichigo had a solution….

 _ **Meanwhile….**_

 __"Captain Kuchiki," Unohana addressed when she saw the man. "You should still be resting." Despite allowing him to move about freely and letting him attend to his duties as captain and head of his clan, Unohana insisted that Byakuya come to her squad so she could check up on him now and again as his wounds had not fully healed.

"My treatment is adequate, Captain," Byakuya said. "I only came here to find my lieutenant. Have you seen-"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Both captains were interrupted when little Ichigo came running up to his mother, sobbing his eyes out. "Ichigo!" Behind him came Renji who was shocked to see Ichigo's new mother and his captain standing together. "What on earth is the matter?"

Sobbing madly, Ichigo looked up at Retsu, his face red from the tears. "Renji keeps picking on me!" he choked. "WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" he cried, pushing his head into his mother's waist and crying some more.

Everyone in the hallway suddenly noted how colder it got as Unohana slowly turned to Renji. Even Byakuya felt a bead of sweat roll down his face when he saw the look in her eyes.

"…Captain Kuchiki. Can you please take care of Ichigo for a few minutes while I talk to your lieutenant?" she said softly, pulling Ichigo away from her. Renji, knowing that Ichigo just signed his death warrant, looked to his captain for some promise of salvation but Byakuya merely stood there as Unohana put a hand on Renji's shoulder and led him into a spare empty room. As the door closed behind him, Renji took one last look at Ichigo, who smirked.

Byakuya caught that small expression and scowled. "Was that really necessary, Ichigo?" he asked, crossing his arms. "I understand that you're just a child right now but you are old enough to not let taunts get to you."

"Hey, he was being a jerk!" Ichigo replied. Wiping his eyes, he looked at Byakuya and frowned. "I don't like jerks. And maybe I should tell my mom about how you spanked me."

Both of them jumped when they heard a shrill scream come from the room. Hearing it, Ichigo's eyes narrowed in a manner that was highly similar to his new mother's. " _You don't want me to tell my mom, do you?"_ The sight of Unohana's blue eyes staring at him made a shiver run down Byakuya's spine….

Whirling around, Byakuya huffed and walked away. "You should not pick up your mother's habits. It's unbecoming of you."

Ichigo merely shrugged and turned to walk away when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Not so fast, Ichigo. We're going to have a talk," Unohana said, having already finished up Renji's punishment. Before Ichigo could try to get away from Unohana she was leading him away, back to their quarters. Several of the nurses looked into the room Renji had been in and peeked inside. Their faces turned pale and they rushed inside to stop the bleeding….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Unohana's quarters**

Ichigo stared at the floor as he sat on Unohana's bed. The woman sat down next to him and looked at him with motherly concern. "Ichigo, what's the matter?" she asked, trying to be as soft as she could be. Getting off the bed, she knelt down in front of Ichigo and lifted his head up with a finger. "Please, Ichigo. I can tell that something is troubling you."

She watched as Ichigo's eyes wavered, as if he was weighing his options. Finally, he looked up at her and at last opened up. "I…I just feel like I'm betraying Mom…."

Retsu blinked. "Betraying your mother? What do you mean?"

"It's just…" he blinked back tears. "Every time we're together I feel the same feelings I did with my mother. I keep dreaming about you and Mom fighting over me." His small face started to cry again, this time for real. "I don't know what to do."

Retsu looked at her son for a long moment, understanding his turmoil. "Ichigo, do you love your mother?"

"Uh huh…" Ichigo choked.

Cupping the boy's face, Unohana kissed his forehead. "Then that's all there is to it. As long as you love her, then your feelings will never die. If you feel the same affections for me then that only means that your heart is big enough for two. I…." Now it was Unohana's turn to be at a loss for words as her own feelings started to conflict. "I never thought about having children. The ghosts of my past always lingered over my head. I always thought that I never had the ability to raise a child…." Ichigo watched as her lips formed a loving smile, a tear of her own rolling down her face. "But then I had you. Holding you after giving birth, I could feel all of the darkness inside me melt as I held you in my arms. To me, you will always be my son."

Ichigo was silent, letting her words sink in. Lips trembling, he wrapped his arms around Retsu's neck and hugged her. Mother and son hugged for what felt like an eternity. "Retsu?" Ichigo's tiny voice squeaked.

"Yes, Ichigo?" replied Retsu, rubbing her child's back soothingly.

"Can I…can I call you Mom?"

Continuing to smile, Retsu leaned back and caressed Ichigo's cheek. "Nothing would make me happier…."

Ichigo nodded and laid his head on her shoulder, holding onto her as she got onto the bed. Both of them were emotionally exhausted and as Unohana leaned back against her large pillow, Ichigo fell asleep in her arms….

 _Ichigo found himself back at the crossroads once more. He saw both of his mothers standing on each path, beckoning to him. Closing his eyes, Ichigo took a step forward…and found himself on the middle path, holding both women's hands. "C'mon, let's go!" the little boy happily said, walking down the path with both of his mothers, both women smiling down at their son._

Retsu saw the smile on Ichigo's sleeping face and held him tight, knowing that her son had come to terms at last….


	12. Chapter 12 (rewrite)

Chapter 12 (New)

 **A.N.: No words. I have no words to describe how I'm feeling as I'm writing this out.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.  
Warning: Lime! Shota!**

 _ **A few days later….  
**_ **Squad Four; Ichigo's Room**

Ichigo lay in bed, feeling terrible. Unohana sat down on the bed and put a thermometer in Ichigo's mouth. Earlier that day Ichigo complained that he didn't feel well. When Unohana put a hand on his forehead she noticed that he was running a fever and told Ichigo to head straight back to bed.

Unohana pulled the thermometer and checked it. "One hundred and one degrees. You'd better stay in bed for today, Ichigo." She put an icepack on Ichigo's head and took out a bottle of medicine from her robes. "Here. This should help."

Ichigo sipped from the small cup of medicine only to recoil in disgust. "Yuck!" the child stuck his tongue out as the bitter taste hit him.

Chuckling, the mother patted her son's cheek. "Don't worry. The taste will pass. The medicine should help with the fever. But you should get some rest for now." She pulled the covers over Ichigo and tucked him into bed. "I have to go to a meeting with the other captains. I'll send Isane to check up on you."

"Okay. Thanks, Mom," Ichigo replied. "But…I feel kinda funny…."

"Kisuke warned me that might happen. Due to your body being recreated with a teen mind, you're bound to have some side effects that aren't normal for a normal fever. But for now, just relax." Unohana smiled as Ichigo nodded and laid his head back against the pillow. She walked out of the door and told one of her nurses nearby to keep an eye on Ichigo before walking towards Squad One.

Ichigo grumbled as he lay in bed, his head feeling dizzy from the fever. He wished that the medicine would hurry up and help him; waiting for medicine to kick in has always been one of the things he hated. Closing his eyes, he tried to fall asleep but couldn't as his mind started to wander….

' _I wonder how Orihime and the others are doing…'_ the little boy thought as he thought about his friends. ' _I wonder what she and Tatsuki are doing….'_ He remembered how Orihime mentioned that she was thinking about trying out to be a cheerleader and tried to imagine his high-spirited friend as one. ' _That'd be nice. She'd be happy doing all those cheers. And wearing that outfit…'_

While Ichigo was a child for the moment and he'd always been a prude, the fever had caused his mind to become weak to the temptations of dark thoughts so he soon began imagining his friend wearing a cheerleader outfit. The skirt showing off her shapely, elegant legs. Her top that strained against her large bosom. And he imagined all that jumping up and down she'd do, causing her large jugs to bounce. The black-haired boy giggled as he imagined Orihime giving him a private show.

" _Give me a I!" Orihime cheered as Ichigo sat in front of him, the boy back in his orange-haired teenage body. In front of him Orihime continued to bounce up and down, shaking her pom-poms while cheering. "Give me a C! Give me an H!" Ichigo's eyes became mesmerized by her bouncing jugs as she continued cheering. "Give me an I! Give me a G!" She kicked a leg up, showing off her underwear beneath her skirt. "Give me an O! That spells…ICHIGOOOOOO!"_

The boy had a goofy smile on his face as he imagined it all, giggling uncontrollably. "Heheheheh…Orihime…jump higher…."

The door opened up, temporarily snapping him out of his daze. Isane and Rangiku walked in. "Hey, Ichigo, you doing okay?" the strawberry blonde asked.

"Hey guys," Ichigo weakly said as he lay in bed. Isane put another thermometer in his mouth while Rangiku changed his icepack. "Why're you here, Rangiku?"

"I wanted to make sure that my old captain's son was alright. Here," she held up a teddy bear she brought and put in in bed next to him. "A new friend for you!"

Ichigo would've deadpanned about being given another teddy bear but was touched by the gesture. Also…thanks to his feverish mind he couldn't help but stare at Rangiku's exposed cleavage.

"Hang on, Ichigo," Isane changed the icepack on his head before looking around. "I need to find where Captain Unohana put the medicine. Rangiku, keep an eye on the thermometer, would you?"

Ichigo watched as the silver-haired lieutenant got up and started looking around the room. Her captain had told her she left the bottle of medicine. However, she never specified exactly where the bottle was so she had to rummage through the drawers. Ichigo noticed how when she bent over her posterior became on display.

"You find it yet?" Rangiku asked.

"No, not yet. I hope we find it soon. I need to take a shower after today."

"Me too." Rangiku sat back and ran a hand through her hair. "I could use a nice bubble bath right now."

Sitting silently, Ichigo couldn't help but imagine Rangiku, in all her beautiful splendor, taking a bubble bath with Isane.

" _Wow, I needed this," Rangiku sighed as she sat in the tub, bubbles surrounding her. She lifted a leg up and ran a sponge up it, her flawless skin sparkling from the bubbly soap._

 _"Room for one more?" Isane asked, a towel wrapped around her._

 _"Always," Rangiku gestured to the other end of the large tub. "Here, I can wash your back for you."_

 _Isane got into the tub and leaned back against Rangiku. Isane giggled as she ran a sponge up her back, "That feel soooooo good…" She sighed as Rangiku's breath hit her ear. "Ichigo?"_

"Ichigo," Isane said, sitting down next to him. "I found the medicine. Here," she poured a small cup and put it to Ichigo's lips after removing the thermometer. "Drink up."

Ichigo gagged as he drank the bitter medicine, hoping that he wouldn't have to endure much more of it. "Yuck!" he grumbled again. "Who made this, Mayuri?"

Isane merely chuckled. "Sorry. But you know what they say: the best medicine tastes the worst." She tucked Ichigo back into bed. "I'll be back in a few hours in case Captain Unohana doesn't come back from the meeting yet. Get some rest, Ichigo."

"Man, you must be sick, Ichigo," Rangiku said as she looked at the child. "Look how red your face is. And are you sure you're okay? What were you giggling about?"

Ichigo's ears burned as he realized that Rangiku must've caught him fantasizing about her and Isane. "Um…I was thinking of Yachiru dressing Kenpachi like a teddy bear."

Both lieutenants looked at each other before laughing. "Now that would be something to see!" Rangiku said before getting up. "Sleep tight, Ichigo."

Ichigo said goodbye to the two lieutenants before closing his eyes. "Hmm…wonder what Tatsuki is doing. I wonder if she'd let me share a bath with her like this…."

" _You're so cute, Ichigo," Tatsuki giggled as she ran her hands through Ichigo's black hair, shampooing his scalp while they sat in the tub together. Ichigo smiled up at her happy face and giggled. He noticed how smooth her legs were as they touched him, the boy sitting in front of her. Washing his hair, Tatsuki pulled Ichigo close, his small head cushioned by her breasts. "I just want to hold you forever, you cute, little boy!"_

Ichigo's face turned red again and he started to giggle uncontrollably. "Heheheheheheheh…" he giggled, his lips forming a goofy grin.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't the only one laughing….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Squad One; Captains meeting**

The captains were in the middle of discussing the preparations for the upcoming battle with Aizen during the winter. "We're hard at word developing the replica with Squad 12," Soi-Fon reported. "It'll take some time but we should be ready by the time-"

"Heheheheheheh…."

All of the captains looked to see the source of the interruption. "Um…Captain Unohana?" Ukitake looked at his friend concerned. "Are you feeling alright?"

The reason why he and everyone else were so concerned was because not only was Unohana's face red, she was giggling uncontrollably while having a silly smile on her face. Even Yamamoto looked perturbed by the sudden turn of events.

"Teeheehee!" Unohana giggled, unable to stop the feedback she was getting from Ichigo. "I'm…I'm so sorry everyone, ahahahahah! Ichigo is ill and it's affecting his mind and therefore it's affecting me." She turned around and headed for the door. "Excuse me, everyone. I need to tend to my son. Heheheheheheh…."

As the door closed behind her, the other captains looked at each other.

"…Did that seriously just happen?" Soi-Fon asked after a moment.

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Ichigo's Room**

Ichigo's fever had not gone down and neither had his feverish mind. "I wonder what Mom is doing?" he wondered out loud. "The meeting should be over by now. Mom…" He remembered taking baths with her and it did something that hadn't happened since his rebirth: excite him.

"I wonder…what's going to happen when I turn back to normal…."

" _Ichigo," Retsu said, sitting on the bed, a back-to-normal Ichigo waiting patiently for her. "I'm glad to see you're doing well…" She wore a white bathrobe and Ichigo was just imagining what lay beneath it. "You know, since you're an adult now, and I'm no longer your mother, that means…" she leaned forward and caressed Ichigo's cheek. "We can play some adult games."_

 _Ichigo shivered at his second mother's touch, running a hair through her black hair. She pushed him onto the bed and straddled his lap. "Ichigo, I hope you're ready for this…Ichigo…Ichigo…."_

"Ichigo."

The boy opened his eyes only to stare in horror. The words were in his mother's voice but they were real. And, there in the flesh, was Retsu Unohana, who was sitting next to him. "Um…hi, Mom." He mentally slapped himself when he remembered that they shared a mental connection and that again it had caused some feedback from his fantasies to transfer onto her. He saw her cheeks were pink and could guess what the problem was. "Um..." He looked down, ashamed at himself. He always considered himself a gentleman, at least when he was a teen, but now he'd been caught having dirty fantasies of her and his friends. "I'm sorry…."

Changing the icepack on his head, Unohana patted her son's cheek. "It's perfectly alright. I tend to forget that at heart you're a teenager and the fever has affected your mind. Though I must say," her eyes narrowed with mysterious intent, "That last fantasy of yours certainly leaves room for interpretation…."

All of the blood left Ichigo's face. "I…I don't know what to say."

On her way here, Unohana came to a decision, one that she may end up regretting but for the sake of her son she would live with it. "Ichigo, how about this," she lifted her son onto her lap. "The next time you feel any of those urges, come see me. I'll help you rid yourself of any of those dirty thoughts."

Ichigo was confused by her words but took the kind look on his mother's face to be one he can trust. "Okay. I promise."

Unohana put a hand on his forehead and noted how he wasn't burning up anymore. "It seems that the medicine has helped out. Your fever has gone down. Why don't you come to my room to have dinner," she offered.

As Ichigo stood up, he couldn't help but feel some of the feedback Unohana was feeling thanks to their mutual connection. "Um…did something happen at the meeting?" he asked as he followed her out of the room.

"Well, I wasn't prepared for the sudden bursts of giddiness and lewd suggestions coming from you so it…reflected on my face," she said reluctantly. "It's alright though. I'm sure the others will have had their laugh by now." She couldn't help but smile from the memory of the captain's stunned faces.

"It's been a while since I had a good laugh."

To be continued


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 **A.N.: Those that are demanding me to write incest clearly want to do it to someone in their own family but refrain because they contradictory think and know it's wrong. If you take umbrage with how I write my story you're more than willing to go and write your own damn story. However, if you simply copy and paste mine I will make sure Fanfiction knows that you're plagiarizing by reporting you to them. Seriously, guys? I am the writer here and you are not. If you don't like it then write your own story instead of bemoaning that you didn't get what you wanted just like a little kid throwing a tantrum because they didn't get their ice cream. I will consider and think about ideas when I ask for them; however, you must remember that I am the one who decides the path my story goes since I am the writer. Now, on with the story.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. **

_**Three days later….  
**_ **Squad Four; Ichigo's Room 6:45 AM**

"No!"

"Ichigo, this isn't a debate. You're going!"

"I don't wanna!"

"It doesn't matter what you want. I'm your mother and I say you're going."

"I don't belong here, Mom! What if Kisuke comes up with the cure tomorrow?"

"Then you'll turn back to normal tomorrow. But in the meantime: you're going."

"Mom, I'm Human!"

"No, right now you're a Soul Reaper. Which means you're more than qualified."

"No!"

The two had been having a back-and-forth argument ever since Unohana had woken her son up. The morning after Ichigo and Unohana had their gigglefest, Unohana checked in on him and discerned by his lowered temperature that his illness had passed. Because of what'd happened at the Captain's meeting, however, Unohana realized that she had to keep Ichigo occupied and keep his mind from wandering, lest she get the feedback at the wrong moment at the wrong time again. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't keep letting him spend the day with Yachiru since it led him into all sorts of trouble. Thus, she'd decided on where to send Ichigo while she was away fulfilling her duties. As much as she would like, she couldn't keep Ichigo with her while making her rounds at the Squad Four medical centers because due to his new body she was afraid he'd get sick again. Thus, she'd taken Captain Ukitake's advice and made a certain arraignment….

"I've already made the arrangements, Ichigo. You're going."

Ichigo stomped his foot and pouted like the child he'd become. "Why?"

"Because I'm your mother and because I said so," Unohana said matter-of-factly. "If I have to drag you there with Kidô, Ichigo, I'm more than willing to do it," she threatened.

Ichigo looked at the floor, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. "Mom…it's too embarrassing."

"Taking a first step into anything is always embarrassing. It won't be permanent. And even if it is, you'll get something out of it," she insisted. Deciding to end the debate once and for all, Unohana took her son by the hand and led him, or to be more accurate she _dragged_ him, out of the room. "Come, Ichigo."

"It's time for your first day of school."

 _ **Later….**_

You ever remember the feeling you get when you're the new kid at school? Well, that's the precise feeling Ichigo had as he was led into a small classroom. In the room were fifteen other children of similar age-appearance. The teacher, a young woman who looked about twenty-five in terms of Human years, introduced Ichigo to the class. "Everyone, this is our new classmate, Ichigo Unohana."

The class greeted Ichigo with smiles and made Ichigo feel more uncomfortable. He knew that by rights, most of the children were probably older than Ichigo in terms of years but it still felt incredibly awkward for him to be in a class full of children when he was a high schooler. "Hello…" he meekly said.

The teacher patted Ichigo's head and guided him to his seat. As he sat at the wooden desk, Ichigo remembered the mountains of questions he had when Unohana dragged him to the small schoolhouse.

The school was in the district number two in the West Rukon District and is in a secluded meadow, far from the hustle and bustle of the Soul Society. Unohana explained that because of the extended lifespans most Souls have, school levels such as grades are trivial and they clumped students together based on their appearance and mentality. Due to the fact that most children spent decades in childhood and adolescence they would often spend years at the school before they matured enough to go to the Soul Reaper academy if they showed any aptitude of spirit energy. Thus it was perfectly acceptable for Ichigo to be admitted into the school at Unohana's behest.

If only that were the least of Ichigo's problems….

"Hi'ya, Ichi!" Yachiru greeted as Ichigo sat next to her. She was out of her _shihakusho_ and was wearing a blue kimono given to her by Unohana. "This is fun, huh?"

Ichigo sweatdropped. Just when things couldn't get any more awkward….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **The Soul Society**

Unohana walked along the stone pathway, feeling calm. She'd mastered the ability to block any feedback her son was feeling by now; she was not going to be caught off-guard again like at the captains' meeting. That had been embarrassing to explain to the others afterwards. Unohana was somewhat surprised that their mental connection hadn't faded or weakened in the slightest after all this time. If anything it'd only grown stronger, making Unohana believe that perhaps putting some distance from her son was the key; not that she wanted Ichigo out of her hair, far from it. She simply felt that Ichigo needed some adjustment to the Soul Society that didn't involve a zanpakuto.

She ran into her comrades Ukitake and Kyoraku and greeted them with her usual smile. "Jushiro, Shunsui. You're looking well."

Kyoraku tipped his hat before noticing that his friend was lacking a certain black-haired boy by her side. "Where's Ichigo? Sick again?"

"Come to think of it," Ukitake noted, "I haven't seen much of Yachiru Kusajishi either. Are they off playing again, Captain Unohana?"

"Oh brother," Kyoraku muttered. "Those two get into all sorts of trouble…."

"Nothing like that," Unohana explained. "I've enrolled Ichigo in school. He needs to be around children like him and to keep his mind occupied. I've also enrolled Yachiru into the school as well after talking it over with Captain Zaraki."

Ukitake blinked. "Wait, but Yachiru's a lieutenant. Won't she be needed?"

"Yeah, and isn't Ichigo in reality a Human high schooler?" Kyoraku countered.

"Yes, but perhaps some schooling will do him some good. And Squad Eleven's third-seat, Ikkaku Madarame, is practically the lieutenant of the squad in all but name. Her absence will not be consequential."

Kyoraku scratched his beard before nodding. He could sense the true intent on Unohana but wasn't in a position to question the mother's motives. "I see. Still, it's great to see you out and about, Captain Unohana."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, for the while now you kept yourself to your squad. I'm glad to see you've worked off the baby-weight from carrying Ichigo."

Ukitake suddenly felt the air grow cold as Unohana stepped forward. "Shunsui… _did you just call me fat?_ " she asked in her terrifying voice.

Sometimes, Kyoraku wished he'd learned to keep his mouth shut….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Meadow behind schoolhouse**

Ichigo felt really embarrassed as he and the other students were led out for recess. Yachiru seemed to be having the time of her life, making friends with the other children. That being said though, the teacher didn't really approve of her dark sense of humor but understood that Yachiru was a Soul Reaper and the daughter of Kenpachi Zaraki; so it was par for the course.

"C'mon, Ichigo!" several of the girls said as they kicked a ball around. "Come play with us!" they cheered.

Blushing, Ichigo joined them with Yachiru and kicked the ball around. While playing they asked him all sorts of questions. Where was he from? Was he from the World of the Living? Who were his parents? How come he was best friends with a lieutenant of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads?

Ichigo tried to answer the questions as quietly as he could, but every answer he gave made his classmates more fascinated about him.

"I'm from the World of the Living."

" _Really? Wow! We've never been to the World of the Living before!"_

"My…my mom is Retsu Unohana."

" _COOL! Your mom's a captain?! We've met her before. She's so nice to us!"_

 _"_ Yachiru is…kinda my best friend."

That made Yachiru almost explode with happiness….

Kicking the ball around, Ichigo felt a calm joy he hadn't felt in forever. He felt…like a kid again; well and truly. Ever since his mother died he felt like he had a massive weight on his shoulder. Little by little, ever since his rebirth as Unohana's son, the weight was being lifted from his shoulders.

The others smiled when Ichigo giggled while kicking the ball towards them. Still, he could feel heat start to rush to his cheeks as one of the girls grabbed his hands, much to Yachiru's annoyance. In fact, Ichigo noticed that he was one of the few boys in the class and that most of the girls were near him.

He blushed when one of the girls, a small girl with blonde hair, walked up to him with shy eyes. "Hi, Ichigo…" she muttered. "Would…would you like to play with me?" she asked while holding up a toy.

Ichigo's cheeks turned pink and once he felt incredibly awkward at the moment. When he and the girl left to group to go play, he prayed his mother couldn't feel what he was feeling right now….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Squad Four; Unohana's Office**

Unohana chuckled when she felt Ichigo's embarrassment and joy through their connection, her lips forming a wide smile. Ichigo's happiness was like a warm ray of sunlight. She could feel fringes of other emotions but put them to the side. For now, Ichigo was happy.

As a mother, that was all Unohana could ask for.

To be continued


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 **A.N.: After putting off the story in order to focus on my other stories I'm finally back at it so I can get to another IchigoXUnohana story.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. **

_**A few days later….  
**_ **Soul Society**

Ichigo groaned as he walked back to Squad Four with Yachiru, tired from another day at school. The chibi substitute walked hand in hand with his friend. Yachiru was at this point glued to the hip with her new best friend, much to Ichigo's embarrassment. Still, Ichigo was grateful to have a friend since he was still shrunk down to pint-sized form.

Walking past several members of Squad Seven, Ichigo overheard them talking. "How's the preparations going?"

"Slow but steady. We should have the replica up by the time the battle starts. Captain Kurotsuchi's really giving this his all."

Yachiru noticed that her friend had stopped and was staring at the ground, a sad, shameful look on the little boy's face. "Ichi? What's wrong?"

"It's not right," little Ichigo mumbled. "Everyone's working hard to stop Aizen…and I'm just here, small and useless." He'd come to realize that this was perhaps Aizen's purpose, to leave him out of the fight and powerless to stop him.

The pinkette merely hugged her friend. "That's not true, Ichi! You've made your mom really happy!" Pulling him away from the talking group, Yachiru continued, "Nobody thinks that you're useless."

"Maybe."

"Cheer up, Ichi! Guess what tomorrow is!" Yachiru giggled happily.

"What?"

"It's the lieutenants' pool party!" Yachiru beamed with joy. "Me and Big Boobies are going to have a party with the other lieutenants. Ruki is invited too."

Ichigo was about to smile and say that he was thrilled to go when he suddenly tensed up. "Pool…you mean…water?" he gasped, letting go of Yachiru's hand. He put a hand to his head as an involuntary flashback suddenly rolled through his mind.

Yachiru saw the look of pain on her friend's face and became concerned. "Ichi! What's wrong?"

"I…I don't…" He put a hand on his head as he suddenly relived that horrible night again. "No…I don't…want to go near the water…"

The girl would have protested but even she was smart enough to see the pain Ichigo was in. Deciding that he needed help, Yachiru took hold of his hand and led the little boy back to his home in Squad Four. "I'll take you to Captain Unohana. She'll know what to do."

 _ **Later…  
**_ **Squad Four; Ichigo's room**

Ichigo sat on the bed, curled up into a ball. He stared blankly at the floor as he struggled to get a hold of himself. ' _I'm not scared…I'm not a child…I'm fifteen…'_ he repeatedly told himself. Yet no matter how many times he said it, the words rang hollow. Try as he might, Ichigo was a child now, no longer a young man. The bravery that he once had was now gone, buried underneath the fears and uncertainties of childhood, now resurfaced.

The door opened up but Ichigo didn't look to see who it was. He didn't need to. The mental connection that he shared with his mother was all he needed. Unohana sat down next to her dark-haired child and put an arm around him. "Ichigo, what's the matter? Yachiru told me what happened," she told him. Running her hand gently through his hair, Unohana closed her eyes and took a look into Ichigo's mind. True, it was a little intrusive but Unohana needed to get to the heart of the matter. "Ichigo, you're hydrophobic?"

"I was…" Ichigo confessed. "After my mom died, I would go walk around the riverbed where she died. I…I wanted to try to find her…" he said, leaning to the side to lay his head on his mother's shoulder. "But after a while…I became afraid of the river. I became afraid of water. Pools, lakes, streams; I was afraid that the girl who was responsible for my mom's death would return." He sighed deeply before looking up at his mother. "I got over it. My dad helped me get over my fears but now…now I'm afraid again…"

"I see…" the mother replied, her arm wrapping around him to pull him close. "So you freeze up whenever you think or go near a large body of water?"

"Uh huh…" little Ichigo admitted, feeling ashamed of himself.

Leaning down, Unohana kissed Ichigo's forehead and gave him a warm, understanding smile. "Ichigo, what you went through was horrible. It's only natural that you developed a phobia of water after such a traumatic incident." Figuring out what to do for Ichigo was simple enough. As a seasoned medic, Unohana was accustomed to helping others work through their own psychological problems.

Getting up, she held out her hand for Ichigo. "Come with me, Ichigo."

Seeing the look in her eyes helped comfort the nine-year old body. He took hold of Unohana's hand and let her lead him out of his room. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"We're going swimming."

 _ **Later…**_

"Mom, where are we?" Ichigo asked as he walked through the forest with his mother. Unohana took him to a wooded part of the Soul Society, saying that she wanted to give Ichigo thearapy in private.

"We're almost there, Ichigo," Unohana replied before she saw the spot she'd wanted to see. "There."

Ichigo saw that it was a large spring in the middle of the forest and gulped. "Mom, what are we doing here?" he asked, despite knowing the answer.

"Ichigo, do you remember how your father managed to help you get past your fear of water the first time?"

The dark-haired boy nodded. "Yeah." He remembered it quite well. Isshin had gotten a small pool to set up int eh backyard in order to teach Ichigo not to fear the water.

"Then this will be simple. If it worked once, it'll work again." Unohana took her child to the edge of the spring. "The spring is a bit deep but don't let that frighten you. I'm right here," she said softly, feeling Ichigo's fear through their shared connection. She could understand why he had horrific flashbacks whenever he saw a large body of water, the death of his mother was an understandable source of that phobia. "Get undressed," she said while shrugging out of her _Haori._

Ichigo blushed uncontrollably as his mother stripped. Despite the fact that they had bathed together on multiple occasions, seeing his mother in her underwear still made him embarrassed. Looking away, he reached for his own tiny clothes and started to disrobe, standing with his mother.

Unohana took a step into the spring, exhaling deeply as the cool water embraced her. She waded into the water before turning to her son. Holding out her hand, she beckoned for Ichigo to join her in the spring. "Don't worry, Ichigo. The water's shallow at this spot."

Ichigo took a step to get into the spring but fear hit him like a sack of bricks. "I…I can't…" he said, turning away.

Nodding in understanding, Unohana walked to the edge of the spring. "I'm right here, Ichigo. You don't need to be afraid."

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo took hold of her hand and stepped into the spring. ' _There's nothing to be scared of. There's nothing to be scared of.'_

Unohana wrapped her arms around her child, holding him tightly as they stood in the spring. She felt his pain through their connection and closed her eyes. She knew that in order to help Ichigo work past the memory of his mother's death, she had to counter the negative memory with a positive one. She recalled the day she'd given birth to Ichigo. The joy and happiness she felt as she held his tiny little body in her arms. The jubilation of becoming a mother. She wrapped him in a warm hug while she tried her best to counter his grief with joy.

The feelings of warm happiness worked into Ichigo's mind. Soon the painful memory of that horrible night gave way to new ones. Ichigo's fearful mind calmed down as he remembered he happiness he shared with both Masaki and Retsu. He remembered learning to swim from his father and how proud the man was when he started to swim confidently. Slowly but surely the happiness slowly started to get through to him and for a second time his hydrophobia began to fade. He opened his eyes and stared down at the water. This time when he did he was no longer assaulted by a horrific flashback. "Mom…" he looked up at his mother, who was smiling down at him. "I think I'm going to be fine."

"That's good to hear." She gestured to the rest of the spring. "The spring's quite big. Would you like to swim a little?"

Smiling warmly, Ichigo nodded. Unohana sat down and watched her child swim for a few minutes, marveling at how athletic the boy was. After a few minutes, Ichigo swam up to his mother and sat down next to her, the edge of the spring just shallow enough to let him sit. "Mom…can I ask something?" he asked, feeling a little nervous.

"Of course, Ichigo. What is it?"

"Everyone is working hard on preparing for the fight with Aizen. You and the other captains are making the replica of the town. Rukia and Orihime are busting their butts training. Even Renji is training Chad at Urahara's. I feel," he looked down at the water and stared at the nine-year-old face that looked back at him, "I feel so useless."

Unohana patted Ichigo's head with a wet hand. "I know that it's frustrating. But try to enjoy this new childhood you have."

"I guess," Ichigo replied, knowing that there was nothing he could about it.

"By the way," Unohana said with a knowing look in her eye, "I noticed that you certainly kept having certain thoughts regarding your teacher…"

Ichigo stiffened, his face turning red in embarrassment. "Well…it's not like I can't help it…" he sputtered.

Unohana merely smiled. "It's alright. I know how bizarre this is, being a teen trapped in a child's body. You remember what I promised you earlier when you were sick?"

"Yeah. You said you'd help me take care of those thoughts." Ichigo didn't know where Unohana was going with this.

Smiling, Unohana reached for Ichigo and pulled him onto her lap. The boy rested her head on her bosom as she held him. "I'll tell you what we'll do. The next time your thoughts become more than you can handle, come to me." She saw the disturbed look on his face and chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't do anything too forward. I'll simply put you into a relaxed, hypnotized state using Kidō until your body and mind work those dirty feelings out of your system. Does that sound okay?"

Ichigo had to admit, it was quite the unique offer. It was quite embarrassing at times when he stared at Rangiku, Rukia, his teacher at the school or any of his adult friends and find himself suddenly swarmed by waves of hormones, feeling a teen's lust inside a child's body. "Okay," he nodded.

"Excellent." Unohana stood up and carried Ichigo out of the water. She grabbed two towels from the bag she'd brought with her and began to dry off her and Ichigo. "Looks like you're all set to go to the pool party tomorrow." Putting their clothes back on, they began to walk back to Squad Four…

 _ **Later that night…**_

Unohana walked outside, taking in the crisp night air on her skin as she walked past her garden. She was very glad to have helped Ichigo through his hydrophobia. But her thoughts were cut off, however, when she saw a shadow moving along the wall towards Ichigo's room.

"This time, I'm going to dissect that little brat! Then I'll be sure to dissect that venomous woman when I'm done…" Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who'd finally managed to regenerate past being a brain in a jar, sneered while he skulked.

"You never learn…" Unohana said as she snuck up behind him.

Mayuri turned to face Unohana and paled. "Oh dear…"

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Whackybisuit, Kowaba, Teloch and Blueshard20 were in the middle of a poker game, all four writers enjoying the game.

"Whose deal is it?" Kowaba asked.

 _CRASH!_

All four almost fell out of their chairs when Mayuri Kurotsuchi came crashing through the room, knocking their cards and chips everywhere.

"Apparently it's Mayuri's," BlueShard20 said, shocked.

Whackybisuit laughed. "Well hallelujah, boys! It's raining clowns!"

Teloch chuckled. "I guess they don't actually float, do they?"

To be continued


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.  
Warning: Lime!**

 _ **A few days later…  
**_ **Squad 4; Ichigo's Room**

"Mmmmhh…"

The raven-haired mother sat on the bed, her child in her lap. Unohana bit down on her lip as her son nibbled on her breasts, sucking the milk from them. In addition to his suckling, Ichigo gently humped his mother's body, soft moans coming from the boy. Little Ichigo's eyes were blank, having been put into a Kidō-induced trance by his mother. Unohana had put her son into a trance after an incident earlier that day. She'd asked him to take something to Captain Hitsugaya at Squad 10. After being directed to the barracks, Ichigo entered the wrong room and had walked in on Rangiku naked. His teenage mind filled with a plethora of dirty thoughts, thoughts which made it very hard for Unohana to focus, thus she called Ichigo back to apply her motherly love.

After putting Ichigo into a trance, she undid her top and let her son climb atop her lap to suckle her breasts, gently running her hands through his dark hair as he got his sexual lust out of his system. The method was a win-win for Unohana. Not only did it allow Ichigo to get out any dirty thoughts he might have in that small head of his but it allowed Unohana to be able to relieve the tension in her chest.

Soon Ichigo's humping subsided and he removed his mouth from Unohana's tit. He leaned back and gave an incoherent mumble as he sat on his mother's lap, his eyes staring blankly at her. Unohana put her top back on before kissing her son's forehead, the trigger she'd developed to end the hypnotic trance.

Ichigo's eyes snapped back into focus and he quickly took in his surroundings. Looking up at his mother, Ichigo asked a serious question he'd been having since they started this. "Hey Mom? How come my mouth tastes funny?" he asked, having not caught on to what he'd been doing while in a trance.

"Oh, that's just a side effect," Unohana said smiling. She lifted her son off her lap and got up. "Anyway, now that you're back to normal, why don't I take you over to Squad Eleven? Captain Zaraki asked if I could bring you over to play with Yachiru."

"Oh, so they came back from Hollow hunting?" For the past few days, Yachiru had been away with her father, leaving Ichigo by himself. He was a little happy to hear that Yachiru was back now. He liked the other children at school but it always felt weird to play without his best friend.

Taking his mother's hand, he followed his mother out of the room, Unohana squeezing his little hand gently…

 _ **Later…  
**_ **Squad Eleven; Field behind Squad Barracks**

Unohana sat on a blanket as she watched Ichigo play with Yachiru, the two children playing tag using the Flashstep. She was surprised how well Ichigo could keep up with Yachiru. ' _But then, he was trained by Lady Yoruichi. So I guess it should be expected.'_ She saw Ichigo turn to look at her and she waved, Ichigo smiling and waving back.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see who it was. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a familiar face walk up to the woman. "Kisuke Urahara," she greeted her old comrade.

"Good afternoon, Captain Unohana," the shopkeeper greeted as he walked up to his old friend. He turned to see the children playing nearby. "Ichigo's certainly having a fun time."

"Yes," Unohana smiled happily as she turned back to her son. "I think he's starting to enjoy his second childhood." She turned to ask the shopkeeper what he was doing here when she noticed how nervous the man looked. A knot formed in her stomach as she quickly deduced what he was doing here. "What brings you here?" she asked, despite knowing the answer.

Kisuke sat down on the blanket next to her and waited a moment before answering her question. "It took me a lot longer than I'd hoped but…I finally figured out how to turn Ichigo back to normal."

Unohana froze, her face turning white. She knew that this should be a good thing and that Ichigo could finally return to his normal life before Aizen had snatched it away. She should be happy…but she wasn't. She was not happy. "How?" she asked.

Astute as always, Kisuke looked at the captain warily, understanding her plight. This was why he tried so hard to find a cure for Ichigo's condition quickly before this could happen. "No spell or drug can restore Ichigo's DNA. That much I've come to understand. Whatever Aizen did, he did to keep Ichigo from ever getting back to the way he was. However, we do have someone whose power can restore Ichigo to normal."

"Really? Who?"

"Ichigo's friend, Orihime Inoue." Seeing the confusion in Unohana's eyes, Kisuke explained further, "Orihime's powers allow her to reject the existence of practically everything, allowing it to return to its previous state. Wounds that could not be healed can heal…"

"And a teen who was turned into a boy could turn back into a teen," Unohana finished.

"That's the theory. The spell Aizen hit Ichigo with destroyed his spiritual body and took deformed his Reishi and consciousness. I believe Orihime can restore his original body."

Sitting back against the bench, Unohana processed the information. She remembered seeing Orihime heal several of her men while she was in the Soul Society after Rukia's execution. The captain was astounded by Orihime's healing powers, puzzled by how she was able to heal the way she did. She looked up at Kisuke. "And you're certain?"

"Well, not exactly," Kisuke admitted. "Orihime's powers are unprecedented. This isn't something that I can run a focus test on to know for sure. We won't know if it will really work until we try. I'm fairly certain that we can turn Ichigo back to normal though." Pushing his hat up, Kisuke took in the sad look that Unohana was unable to hide and frowned. "I take it you're not happy with the news?" he dared to ask.

Looking across the field at her child, Unohana shook her head before looking down at her hands. "I…I don't think I am happy."

"I'm sorry," Kisuke said sadly. "I tried to find a cure as fast as I could. I knew that the more time Ichigo spent like this…the more he wouldn't want to leave."

"I know," Unohana nodded. She sighed before looking at the former captain. "I thought that I wouldn't get so attached at first when I found out I was pregnant with Ichigo. I told myself that I wouldn't try to replace his family because I knew it would come to this. But…" she fought back tears at the realization that her time with her little Ichigo was coming to an end. "I don't know if I want to stop being his mother…"

"I understand…" Kisuke said softly, knowing how hard this was for Unohana to hear. "Part of me didn't want to tell you. Either of you. I can see that you've come to care for Ichigo and I wasn't sure if it was right for me to break what you two had…" he looked out at the playing Ichigo and Yachiru. "He's happy. I don't know if it's right to take it away."

"Then why?" Unohana asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Why would you come here if you didn't want to?" she angrily demanded.

Pushing his hat back down, Kisuke simply said, "Because it's not my choice to make. It's Ichigo's."

Unohana stared at the scientist for a moment before relenting. Deep down she knew that Kisuke was right. It didn't matter how much she wanted Ichigo to remain the way he is. Ichigo was the one who was affected by this and it was his choice to make. "I suppose. I'll tell him tonight and-" Unohana's eyes looked up but she saw no sign of Ichigo anywhere. "Where's Ichigo?" she asked, her motherly instinct quickly going into overdrive. She leapt up off the blanket and called out to her child. "Ichigo? Ichigo!"

Standing up, Kisuke looked around. "Come to think of it, I don't see Yachiru anywhere as well. Do you think they just ran off together?"

"No, Ichigo knows better than to run off without telling me."

Unbeknownst to the two, Ichigo was a little tied up...and I mean that in the most literal sense. What neither Kisuke nor Unohana realized was that Yachiru had overheard their conversation while playing. Horrified at hearing that Ichigo would be back to normal and that she was going to lose her playmate and best friend, Yachiru quickly tied up Ichigo and carried him away.

"No!" Yachiru shouted as she ran away with a bound Ichigo over her shoulder. "I'm not losing my best friend!"

To be continued


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **Sometime later…  
**_ **Yachiru's secret hideout**

"Mmmmh! Mmmmmmh!" Ichigo cried out through his gag as Yachiru set him down on a large beanbag cushion. "Mmamiruuuu!"

Yachiru had taken him to her special hiding place. It was beneath a warehouse some ways away from Squad Eleven. She created it as her home away from home whenever she got into trouble with her father. Like her room, Yachiru's hideout was decked out in pink and filled with stuffed animals, making Ichigo wonder how Kenpachi could afford to buy his daughter so many toys.

When Yachiru removed the gag from Ichigo's mouth, Ichigo finally managed to speak coherently. "Yachiru, what the hell?" the dark-haired boy demanded. "Why'd you tie me up? And why'd you bring me here?" He was going to shout more but he saw that Yachiru's eyes were red and realized that she was crying. "Yachiru, why are you crying?" he asked.

"It's that mean bucket hat man! He said he could turn you back to normal!" Yachiru said, stomping her foot in anger. "I don't want you to turn back to normal!"

Ichigo gasped in surprise. He'd gone so long as a child that he'd given up hope of ever returning to normal. "Kisuke can turn me back to normal? Really?" he asked.

"Uh huh," Yachiru sniffled before wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "He was talking to your mom. He said that Big Boobies can turn you back to normal with her weird powers."

The look on Yachiru's face told Ichigo that she was definitely not happy to hear that Ichigo could be turned back to normal. "Yachiru, take me back," he pleaded with his friend. "I want to go back to being me again."

"But…but…" Yachiru sobbed. "I don't wanna!" She quickly hugged Ichigo tightly. "I don't want to lose my best friend! If you turn big again, I won't have anyone to play with…or sleepover…or make fun of Yumi…and…and…" Yachiru buried her face in Ichigo's shoulder and cried as if her whole world was coming apart.

"Yachiru…" Ichigo wished he could at least hug Yachiru and explain himself but it was hard to do being tied up and with Yachiru crying into his shoulder.

The sobbing Yachiru was interrupted when the trapdoor to the hideout suddenly burst open. She looked up to see a figure drop down from the ceiling and land on the floor before gulping. "Captain Unohana!" she gasped. "How'd you find us?" she asked, knowing she'd never told anyone but Ichigo about her special hideout.

Smiling, Unohana tapped her temple. "You forgot, Yachiru, that my mind is connected with Ichigo's. It was easy for me to find you." She walked over to the tied up Ichigo, only for Yachiru to bar her way. Crouching down to face the small girl, Unohana gave her an understanding smile. "Yachiru, you need to let Ichigo go."

"I don't wanna!" Yachiru insisted. "I don't want Ichigo to turn back to normal!" She looked up at the captain with pleading eyes. "Captain Unohana, you don't want Ichigo to turn back to normal too, don't you?"

Unohana glanced over to the bound Ichigo, who was looking at her with anxious eyes. For a moment she was silent before she turned back Yachiru. "No, I don't want Ichigo to turn back to normal."

Yachiru's face lit up with glee. "Then-"

"But," Unohana interrupted while patting her head. "It's not about what I want or what you want. It's about what Ichigo wants. If he wants to stay the way he is, nothing would make me happier. But…" she wiped the tear from Yachiru's eyes, "If he wants to turn back to normal, I'd still love him regardless." When Yachiru started to cry again Unohana hugged the girl. "Yachiru, have you asked what Ichigo wants?"

"No…"

"You need to."

"Why?"

"Because that's what best friends do. They listen to one another."

Understanding what the woman was telling her, Yachiru broke the hug and walked over to Ichigo. Trying hard not to cry anymore, Yachiru looked at the ground. "Ichi, what do you want?" she finally asked.

Ichigo looked back to his mother, then back to Yachiru, alternating glances as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "Part of me…wants to stay like this, to keep playing with you, going to the school in the Rukon District and staying with my mother. But if I did that…I wouldn't be able to protect anyone." He looked over at his mother. "I became a Soul Reaper because I wanted the power to protect. If I stayed the way I am…I won't be able to protect anyone." He turned back to Yachiru. "I won't be able to protect my dad, my sisters, Orihime, Uyru, Chad, my mom…or you."

Sniffling, Yachiru became silent and stared down at the ground. She knew that Ichigo had made his choice and as Unohana said, she had to respect it. "Do you…" she looked up at Ichigo, tears falling down her face. "Do you promise you'll still be my best friend? Even after you grow up and are big?" she asked.

Ichigo smiled at Yachiru. "I promise."

Yachiru hugged Ichigo tightly one more time before untying him. As soon as he was able to move Ichigo returned the hug, knowing that this was hard not just for him but for Yachiru and for his mother. He could feel the anguish that Unohana felt through their connection and part of him wished that he could stay here in the Soul Society forever. But he made a promise to be there for his friends when they needed him and he couldn't do that being pint-sized.

Unohana walked over to Ichigo and hugged her son, wishing that time could stop for just a little while. "Are you ready, Ichigo?" she asked as she stood up. Kisuke had told her to meet him at Squad Four if Ichigo was ready to turn back to normal.

"I am, Mom."

Taking her son by the hand, Unohana led both him and Yachiru out of the hideout…

 _ **A short while later…  
**_ **Squad Four; Ichigo's Room**

Unohana sat on Ichigo's bed, her back against the wall. Ichigo sat on her lap, mother and child holding one another. Kisuke had told them that he'd sent Rukia to fetch Orihime to bring her to the Soul Society. He would have taken Ichigo to the World of the Living to change back but he wanted Ichigo and Unohana to have as much time as possible to themselves.

Ichigo laid his head on his mother's shoulder, breathing in her soothing scent while she gently ran her hand through his hair soothingly. Unohana smiled as she hugged her son. "Ichigo?" she asked after being silent for so long.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask something of you?"

"What is it?"

Tilting her son's head up, Unohana looked Ichigo in the eyes. "When you turn back to your old self, when we're no longer connected, neither by blood nor by our mental connection…may I still call you my son?"

Ichigo hugged her neck and smiled. "Only if I can still call you my mom."

Chuckling, Unohana kissed his forehead. "Deal. No matter what, Ichigo, you'll always have a home with me."

The little boy kissed his mother on the cheek, giggling. "And no matter what, you'll always have a place at my house. Yuzu and Karin probably miss you as much as me."

Unohana chuckled. "I'll have that to look forward to."

The two continued to hug for a few more minutes before the door opened. Both turned to see Isane standing in the doorway. "Um…Captain Unohana? Ichigo?" the lieutenant meekly addressed, knowing how hard this must be for her captain. "Kisuke Urahara has returned with Orihime Inoue."

"It's time," Unohana said. "Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

"…May I carry you one last time?"

 _ **Later…**_

 __Kisuke, Yoruichi, most of the remaining captains and Orihime were waiting in the large meeting room as Unohana and Ichigo entered, the ebony-haired woman carrying her child in her arms. Orihime stood in front of a table, looking nervous. She was happy when Kisuke informed her that her powers would be able to bring back her Ichigo but she was apprehensive to say the least. She wasn't sure what might happen if she Rejected Ichigo's body. As much as she wanted Ichigo back to normal she didn't want to make things worse.

Kisuke couldn't' help but smile when he saw the mother and child, partly wishing that he didn't have to do this. Ichigo and Unohana had bonded together and had spent so much time with one another that it felt like a crime to tear them apart. But the look on Ichigo's face told him he was ready to turn back to normal and Kisuke had to respect that.

Gesturing for Unohana to lay the child on the table, Kisuke addressed the child. "Ichigo, are you sure?" he asked. "I'm fairly positive that Orihime can return you to normal but…we won't know what will happen for sure."

"I know, Kisuke. But I want to give this a try."

"Ichi…"

Ichigo turned his head to see Yachiru standing next to the table. The girl had stopped crying and was putting on a brave face. "You promise we'll still be friends?" Yachiru asked, trying her hardest not to cry at the fact that she was losing her best friend. She held up a pinky.

Smiling in return, Ichigo held up his pinky and they hooked each other. "I promise."

 _Ka-Chink!_

A bright flash blinded Ichigo, startling the boy. "Yow! What was that?" When his vision cleared he saw Rangiku holding a camera. "Rangiku? What was that for?"

"Oh, I just wanted to get one last photo in for our album. Nanao and I are putting together a whole album of you and Yachiru playing together."

Ichigo deadpanned.

Reaching into his bag, Kisuke produced a syringe. "Ichigo, I'm going to put you to sleep while we do this."

"Why?"

"Remember how painful it was when Aizen's spell ripped your body apart the first time? I don't think you want to go through that again." He looked up at Unohana for permission. After a moment, Unohana reluctantly nodded. "Okay. Here we go…"

As the shopkeeper injected the syringe into Ichigo's arm, the little boy looked up at his mother, who was gently holding his other hand. " _Mom…"_ he called out through their mental connection, figuring that it would be destroyed once he was returned to normal.

" _Ichigo…"_ A tear ran down Retsu's face as she squeezed her son's hand. " _Having you for a son has been the greatest thing to ever happen to me."_

 _"I'm glad…I'm glad that I got to know what it was like to have a mom again,"_ Ichigo replied back, feeling sleep. " _Is this goodbye?"_

 _"No. You'll always be my son, no matter what."_ Sensing Ichigo's mind drifting off to sleep. " _I love you, Ichigo."_

 _"I love you too, Mom…."_

Ichigo's eyes drifted shut and he fell asleep. Unohana set his arm down and gestured for Kisuke to begin. The former captain turned to Orihime and nodded. Swallowing the lump in her throat, the teen readied her hairpins and summoned her healing barrier. "Sōten Kisshun. Ichigo, I Reject."

Everyone watched with bated breath as Orihime's barrier covered Ichigo's body. Ichigo slept on as Orihime's power worked its magic. For a while, nothing happened to him, making everyone wonder if this was a waste of time.

Then Ichigo started to change.

Orihime's power began reverse the formula that Kisuke had given to Ichigo. Slowly Ichigo reverted back to an infant, shrinking down. The baby Ichigo gave a single groan of pain before his tiny body burst into blue smoke. Everyone gave a step back in alarm as the smoke tried to free itself from the confines of the shield, Ichigo's consciousness and Reishi trying to find a new container, aiming for Unohana once more. Thankfully the shield held and Unohana was spared from being impregnated with Ichigo again.

The blue smoke swirled around before creating a human shape. Slowly but surely the form of a person revealed itself. A bright flash of light blinded everyone for a moment. When it faded, there on the table lay Ichigo Kurosaki, the orange-haired teenager. At long last Ichigo had been restored to normal.

"He's back!" Orihime squealed in delight, amazed by her own powers.

As soon as Orihime lifted the shield, Kisuke injected another syringe into Ichigo's arm, this time to wake him up. After a moment the boy stirred and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the smiling face of Retsu looking down at him. "Hey, Mom," he smiled.

Unohana patted his cheek. "Hello Ichigo. Welcome back."

 _ **The next day…  
**_ **Soul Society; Senkaimon Entrance**

Ichigo was ready to return home. It felt a bit weird to him. Part of him was going to miss living in the Soul Society but now that he was no longer the biological child of Captain Unohana there wasn't much of a place here for him.

His friends Kisuke, Yoruichi and Orihime were waiting for him as he and Unohana walked to the gate. Ichigo turned to the woman who'd raised him for the past few months and they hugged. "I'll miss you," he told her.

"I'll miss you too, Ichigo," Unohana replied. "But if you ever need my help, you know where to find me." She handed him a small book. "Here. This is for you."

Taking hold of the book, Ichigo flipped it open to find that it was a photo album. He saw pictures of his black-haired childlike self with Yachiru and Unohana. He was touched by the gesture and hugged the woman who had become a second mother to him one more time. "Thanks, Mom."

"Stay safe, Ichigo."

Ichigo pulled away from Unohana and walked towards his friends. Before he entered the glowing portal he looked back at his mother and waved goodbye, Unohana waving back at him.

As he and his friends entered the Precipice World he turned to Orihime. "So how's things been while I was gone?" he asked.

Orihime started to fill him in everything that'd happened. She told him of the Arrancar who came to scout out for those in the World of the Living who had Spiritual Pressure and had been thwarted by the advanced guard the Head-Captain had sent to assist them.

"Oh! I forgot!" she remembered. "We got a new classmate at school!"

"Really? Who?"

"Shinji Hirako."

And you know how the story goes from there….

To be continued


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **One Year after the Winter War…  
**_ **Karakura Town Park**

Ichigo laid on the soft grass, letting the summer breeze waft over him. So much had happened and yet despite all that he'd gone through he felt peaceful. He was a normal Human, devoid of any Spirit Energy. He wasn't sad about it though. If he could do it all again he wouldn't hesitate to make the sacrifice again.

His second childhood felt like a warm break from the hardships he had to go through immediately afterwards. His new classmate, Shinji Hirako, introduced himself as a Vizard, one of the masked army, to invite Ichigo to join them. He learned how to tame his inner Hollow to perform Hollowfication. Shortly afterwards his friend Orihime was kidnapped by Aizen, who wanted to use her powers. In a shocking revelation, Aizen told Orihime that he specifically caused Ichigo to be changed into an infant as a test to see how powerful her powers really were.

Everything snowballed from there. Ichigo, with Uryu and Chad, rushed to Hueco Mundo to rescue their friend, joined later by Rukia and Renji. They did battle with the Espadas and were almost killed were it not for the intervention of the captians. Just when Ichigo was about to be killed by the Quatro Espada, Nnoitora, Unohana arrived to save him from certain death. After that, Ichigo fought the next Espada, Ulquiorra, in a battle to save Orihime that almost claimed his life.

Unohana helped Ichigo return to the World of the Living to fight Aizen, healing his injuries as they ran along. After they returned, Ichigo had no choice but to use the Final Getsuga Tensho to stop Aizen, sacrificing his powers to do so.

In all truth, Ichigo wasn't sad. He did what he had to and he had the support of his friends and family to keep him from sinking into lonliness. It stung a little that he wasn't able to protect anyone anymore but he was content at least.

As he lay on the grass he heard footsteps coming towards him. He sat up and smiled warmly when he saw who came to greet him. "Hey, Mom."

Outfited in a Gigai, Unohana smiled with all the warmth of a mother at the teen. "Hello, Ichigo. It's been a while." Unohana had visited periodically to check up on Ichigo and to say hello to his sisters, who'd come to view her as an aunt. She wished she could come by more often but her duties as a Soul Reaper captain prevented that notion.

Ichigo got up and hugged his mother, finding the warmth of her embrace to be comforting. "I've missed you," he said softly.

Unohana ran a hand through her son's orange hair. She missed the black but the orange color was starting to grow on her. "I've missed you too. How've you been?" she asked.

Ichigo took hold of his mother's hand and they walked through the empty park, Ihcigo telling her about all that'd happened since the last time she'd come to visit. As they walked, Unohana could sense the sadness within Ichigo. They may no longer have been connected mentally but Unohana still had a mother's intuition. Stopping, Unohana reached out and touced Ichigo's cheek. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

The boy looked at his mother, knowing he couldn't lie to her. "Yes…and no. I miss being a Soul Reaper. And I miss being unable to see you, Rukia and Renji."

A knowing smile crept across Unohana's lips. "I've a present for you."

"A present?"

"Of course. It is your birthday, after all."

Ichigo was confused. It was August, not June. "What do you…"

Unohana put a finger to his lips, smiling. "Today was the day I gave birth to you."

The boy suddenly realized that today was his second birthday, the day that he'd be born Ichigo Unohana. Scratching the back of his head, Ichigo chuckled. "Right. I forgot about that."

"I've a birthday present for you," Unohana said. "Close your eyes."

Smiling, Ichigo closed his eyes and waited, expecting his mother to hand him a present…

Instead, Unohana shoved a sword through her son's chest.

Ichigo's eyes snapped open in horror when he flet the blade pierce his heart. He looked at Unohana with eyes filled with stunned betrayal before his whole world turned to white, a rush of energy flowing through him.

The empty park was suddenly the home of an intense whirlwind as Ichigo felt the familiar rush of power surge through his body. When it finally ended he looked down and saw that not only was his Human body laying at his feet, he was wearing a _Shihakusho,_ his Zangetsu resting on his back.

Ichigo couldn't believe it. He was a Soul Reaper again.

He looked up to see Unohana, standing in her Soul Reaper form, her Gigai standing behind her, having been substituted with a Gikon. In Unohana's hands was a glowing white sword, the tool she used to restore Ichigo's powers.

"Happy Birthday, Ichigo," Unohana happily smiled.

Stunned beyond all belief, Ichigo embraced his mother, happiness swelling his heart. "But...I don't understand." He pulled back and looked his mother up and down. It didn't look like Unohana had lost any energy.

Gesturing to the sword in her hands, Unohana elaborated. "This is a invention I had Kisuke Urahara make for me. I put my own Spirit Energy into the blade in order to restore your powers. And it wasn't just me," her smile widened. "Rukia, Renji, Kenpachi and Yachiru all added their energy into the blade, as well as Yoruichi and Rangiku."

Ichigo's heart swam with emotion. This was better than he ever dreamed of. But he did have one big concern. "But I thought transferring Soul Reaper powers was forbidden?"

Unohana chuckled. "Well, if I'm sentenced to death, I know a certain Subsitute Soul Reaper who'll come to my rescue." Actually, the Head-Captain had given her permission to return Ichigo's powers to him. Ichigo had saved them after all. Plus it was pretty hard even for him to say no to Captain Unohana.

The now restored Substitute Soul Reaper hugged his mother tightly, happiness swelling within him almost to the point of tears. "Thank you, Mom. Thank you so much."

Hugging her son, Unohana patted his head. "It's a mother's wish to make her child happy. And I knew nothing would make you happier than to be a Soul Reaper again. Besides," she smiled teasingly. You look better with black hair."

Ichigo was confused before Unohana handed him a small mirror. Ichigo was shocked to see that the transformation had turned his hair jet black. "You know, I kinda missed having black hair," he said.

"But Ichigo, you do know that now that you're a Soul Reaper again, you're going to have to keep your promise to Yachiru."

"Oh right. I suppose I should head over there to play ball?" It felt weird for Ichigo to entertain the notion of playing with a child now that he was fully grown again but he made a promise to continue being Yachiru's friend and he meant to keep it.

Unohana's smile turned devious, a rare sight for Ichigo to see. "Oh, that reminds me. When I told Yachiru I was going to restore your powers, Yachiru had a little request for me…"

Just when Ichigo was about to ask what it was, he saw something in the distance rocket towards him. "Ichiiiiiii!"

The speeding person barreled into Ichigo, the two tumbling onto the ground. Ichigo landed on his back to see who'd tumbled into him. "Yachiru?" he said when he saw the head of pink hair, only to gap in absolute shock when he saw how different the pink lieutenant had become. "What happened to you?"

"Teehee! I've grown up too! Now we can be best teen friends!" Yachiru no longer looked like a child but now looked the exact same age as Ichigo. Her pink hair sprawled past her shoulders now. The girl had borrowed one of Rangiku's outfits, a split in the side revealing her curvy legs. But was the most shocking was the girl's chest. She was now as big as Orihime! Yachiru hugged Ichigo's neck. "Yay! Now we're both big!"

When they sat up Ichigo looked to his mother for answers. "Yachiru didn't want to remain a child anymore so I gave her a formula that aged her to a more suitable body so that she could spend time with you."

"And Kenpachi was okay with this?" he asked, perplexed.

"He suggested it."

Yachiru gave her friend and almost bone-breaking hug, making Ichigo have flashbacks of Nel. "Yay!"

The two stood up and Ichigo dusted himself off. This day kept getting freakier and freakier. "I suppose I should introduce you to my family," Ichigo noted.

"I'd like that," Yachiru said happily.

Turning to Unohana, Ichigo offered his hand. "Let's go home, Mom."

Unohana took hold of his hand and squeezed. "Let's, son."

Together with his second mother and his new best friend, Ichigo began to walk home, happy again at long last….

The End


End file.
